Emmys of the chocolate world: Exeter's Enna Chocolate wins big at international contest

EXETER — Enna Grazier can now add the title of internationally acclaimed chocolate maker to her resume.

Enna Chocolate at 152 Front Street won two awards from the 2023 Americas Bean-to-Bar and Craft Chocolatier Competition. From hundreds of entries, Enna Chocolate was among the 30-plus finalists from more than 15 different countries. The competition celebrates the highest form of chocolate making for dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate.

“I’m very proud of the work we do already, but it's extra special to be recognized by people in the industry who are known for their chocolate palate,” said Grazier. “It's a really broad competition field – all of the Americas – so it’s very special to be singled out and have my work recognized from a lot of really talented chocolate makers.”

Grazier has been making chocolate from bean to bar for nearly a decade. Her hobby turned into a profession after chef Evan Mallett tasted one of her samples and asked if he could sell them at his restaurant.

She started making the bars in her kitchen, then a commercial space in Epping until she moved into her current space and cafe on Front Street.

Grazier said the recent competition is part of the International Chocolate Awards, equivalent to the Emmys in the chocolate world. Similar contests were held in other regions such as Scandinavian, Italian/Mediterranean and the Asia-Pacific.

Grazier submitted four bars for the Americas competition, all in the dark chocolate categories. 

Three bars made it to the Grand Jury Finalist, and two bars received the Silver Award – Chocorua Rye Barrel-Aged Dark Chocolate in the dark chocolate bars with infusion category and Bon’Bulak 100% Pure Dark Chocolate in the 85% dark chocolate and above category. The latter also received an Honorary Gold Award for being 100% dark chocolate.

“In the over 85% category, I said, ‘Who needs sugar?’ and submitted 100%,” said Grazier.

Previous story: Exeter’s Enna Chocolate named one of the country’s best

Grazier said each of the four bars she submitted is unique.

"I’m proud of them,” she said. “… I think it’s helpful to be recognized on the international stage among other chocolate makers. It’s a very competitive field… making chocolate from bean to bar is a passion project for virtually everyone who does it.”

Here is a look at the winning chocolates:

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Bon’Bulak 100% Pure Dark Chocolate

Made from cacao beans from the Philippines, Grazier said she knew right off the bat that she would make a 100% dark chocolate bar with them.

“They’re floral, they have a sort of honey flavor that’s just really special, and they often don’t have a lot of off notes,” she said. “Ideally we would all make chocolate, always with beans that are perfect from the start, but some beans just need to be paired with sugar to cut some of the acidity or the bitterness.”

Though bitter, the “cult-following” chocolate has a creamy texture to it.

“It’s an acquired taste,” she said. “You might not eat the whole bar at once, but it satisfies a certain kind of sweet tooth and desire for chocolate.”

Grazier said she likes to make a cup of hot chocolate with this bar or dip it in a glass of bourbon if she’s feeling a little adventurous.

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Hacienda Victoria 76% Dark Chocolate

Made with cacao beans from Ecuador, the Hacienda Victoria is an Enna Chocolate staple, one Grazier is “very proud of.” The same “workhorse” beans, she added, are also being used in many other products in the store, such as cookies and hot chocolates.

“It’s a little bit more fudgy and nutty,” she said. “I actually get a really strong peanut butter flavor with this bar. Some people taste a little bit of fruit like orange or apricot in that one… It’s just a good solid chocolate bar.”

Although this bar did not win any award, it still made it to the Grand Jury Finalist, an award in itself, according to Grazier.

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Chocorua Rye Barrel-Aged Dark Chocolate

Also made from the Hacienda Victoria cacao beans from Ecuador, the one detail that makes the Chocorua Rye Barrel-Aged Dark Chocolate different is the beans were aged in a whisky barrel for six months.

“There’s no alcohol remaining, it’s just the whiskey and oak flavor that comes into the bean,” she said. “Even now every time I taste it, I brace myself for alcohol, but it’s just a nice caramelly and honey and oak flavor.”

The two barrels from Tamworth Distillery each fit up to 200 pounds of cacao beans, making 1,600 to 2,000 chocolate bars.

The small hint of whiskey gives this chocolate bar an added unique sweetness, she said.

Rock Hopper 80% Extra Dark Goat Milk Chocolate

The fourth chocolate bar that didn’t place was Rock Hopper, an 80% dark chocolate made with goat milk. Much like any other goat products, Grazier said the chocolate bar “is not for everyone” and is an acquired taste.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Enna Chocolate wins big at the Americas Bean-to-Bar Chocolatier Contest