Ever dreamed of touring a chocolate factory without a golden ticket? Head to Paris, hop on Line 9 to Église de Montreuil, and step into the enigmatic world of RRRaw. Here, vanilla pods and pollen boxes line the shelves, and rich cocoa flows through state-of-the-art machines that tempt you to linger.
Ready for an unforgettable visit? Let's dive in.
At the RRRaw Chocolate Factory—'raw' because the cocoa beans are never roasted, and 'RR' for founder Frédéric Marr—you're greeted with a dark, spicy cocoa infusion. No ordinary hot chocolate; this shaman-inspired drink from the Amazon delivers pure energy.
'European settlers dismissed it as a 'filthy drink' that kept indigenous people energized,' Frédéric explains. 'They sweetened it heavily, leading to that sleepy post-hot-chocolate crash. Our raw infusion? A powerhouse of vitality.' Backed by ORAC testing, raw chocolate retains 4x more antioxidants than roasted varieties, plus a fuller spectrum of bioactive compounds. Indulge guilt-free—your body craves it.
Frédéric, a former food negotiator, discovered raw cacao during an Amazon tribe visit. Inspired, he launched France's first 'Beans to Bar' factory in Montreuil. Beans arrive from Peru under controlled atmosphere, analyzed twice—no roasting or conching needed—to preserve their 'gustatory and nutritional marvels.'
After touring the Canadian high-tech machinery, tasting beans, and eyeing wrapped bars, it's time to savor. Our first bite: 'Childhood Memories' vanilla-hazelnut—a Proustian madeleine exploding with flavor. The texture? Smoother, more melt-in-your-mouth than conventional chocolate, yet intensely rich and nuanced.
A small piece triggers pure taste bud ecstasy. 'Raw reveals individual flavors distinctly,' Frédéric notes, 'like fresh veggies in a salad versus cooked mush.'
***Blissful silence*** (followed by devouring gems like crunchy 'Nuit Blanche' coffee and creamy cashew-coconut 'Doux Rêve').
Frédéric ensures RRRaw earns its 'excellence' badge: 1/ Whole beans, not powder; 2/ Whole cane sugar, coconut blossom, or honey (lower glycemic index, higher minerals); 3/ Nut butters replace dairy (packed with fiber and omega-6/9); 4/ No eggs or gluten; 5/ No lecithin, additives, flavors, or preservatives.
Plus: 6/ Packaging and logistics via ESAT employing 65 adults with disabilities; 7/ 99% organic ingredients; 8/ Fair Trade (~50%) and solidarity partners (~20%); 9/ Eco-friendly packaging; 10/ 1% for the Planet partner, donating to Coeur de Forêt for Amazonian biodiversity and anti-deforestation efforts.
WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?
1/ 'Childhood Flavors' (15.70 euros for 100g)
2/ 'Les Purs Bon’Bons' (coconut, almond-ginger milk, matcha) (16.10 euros)
3/ 68% Cacao au Coco bar (5.60 euros for 50g)
Bon appétit!
To learn more, order, or book visits: www.rrraw.fr
*'What more could you ask for?' in chocolate-filled-mouth speak
