On a cocoa plantation, a tumbador (from the Spanish word meaning “to fall”) is the worker who picks the cacao pods. It’s also the name of an exceptional chocolate company started by Michael Altman, a former computer consulting entrepreneur (and all-around nice guy) who sold his company and decided to take a plunge into the world of wholesale chocolate in 2005. The chocolates are crafted by Tumbador’s Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Francois Bonnet (formerly of
(By the way, as you can probably tell from his name, JF is French, but he acts more like an American than any American I know.) Anyhow, the chocolates were like little, shiny jewels, decorated with flashes of luster dust, transfer sheet designs or textured patterns, all very tastefully done (unlike other chocolatiers who like to show off their chocolates by hitting them with every technique they can conjure up). The flavors are also tasteful, as well as innovative: Pear Black Tea, Coffee Cardamom, Dulce de Leche, Honey, Green Tea and Chestnut, are some examples. The line also features single-origin, organic and fair trade chocolate, exotic fruits, spices, fresh herbs and regional flavors such as Provencal Pastis, Canadian whiskey and
