Artisan Chocolates From Vietnam Fetch $72 a Pound in Japan
- Bean-to-bar is growing niche in $3.7 billion Japanese market
- Meiji Holdings follows, saying it can’t ignore artisan trend
Naoko Otsuka didn’t think twice about paying the equivalent of $23 for 5 ounces of chocolate. The dark-brown slivers of sweetness weren’t just a treat, the Japanese homemaker said, but an opportunity to learn more about a superfood.
The six bars Otsuka bought from a store in Tokyo’s bustling Shibuya shopping district were made by an artisan manufacturer each from a different batch of cocoa beans grown in Vietnam. “I want to taste the difference between each bar,” said Otsuka, 55. “Before coming to this shop, I didn’t know beans could taste different depending on their origin.”