São Tomé is actually the capital of São Tomé and Príncipe, and in around 1470, was the place that the Portuguese came to in search of land that could be used to grow sugarcane. It’s located 140 miles out in the Gulf of Guinea, and is roughly the size of Anglesey. One of the most interesting features on the land itself is the unique mountains that peak with such height and steepness, that it’s thought that some of them have only ever been climbed twice. It was also said that many years ago, in around 1908, São Tomé was the world’s biggest cocoa producer; so much so, that São Tomé and Príncipe were named the ‘Chocolate Islands’.

The cocoa industry eventually fell in São Tomé, due to social and environmental issues; however, the rise of single origin chocolate soon brought the capital back into business. More and more people began searching for chocolate that had been sourced from one place, meaning that São Tomé came back into the cocoa industry with its distinctive, strong flavours.

Sao Tomé chocolate has a very intense and complex taste, rich in roasted cacao, and with plenty of refreshing fruity notes: apricot, red fruits, citrus and even hints of tea. Sao Thomé is great to savour and combine it with fruits that have a moderate to high acidity and sweetness; lime, orange, banana and also with slightly bitter ingredients such as walnuts or mild coffees and spices such as Sichuan pepper that have a tingy effect on the tongue also create beautiful harmonies. This also pairs beautifully with a Blue Mountain Coffee.

3 Fun Facts about São Tomé:

1. There are no lakes in São Tomé and Príncipe!
2. The main language is Portuguese; but they have four national languages in total.
3. Traditional cuisine of São Tomé includes the meat of both fruit bats and monkeys.

Try our Origin Collection…

70% Sao Tome Dark Chocolate Bar

Our 70% São Tomé chocolate has a very intense and complex taste; rich in roasted cacao, with plenty of refreshing fruity notes and citrus tones. As with all single origin dark chocolate, this Sao Tomé chocolate is to be savoured and enjoyed.