BALAVA is a Vietnamese craft chocolate maker working bean-to-bar from cacao grown in Lam Dong. That phrase gets used loosely, so here is what it means in practice at BALAVA: the beans, the fermentation, the roast, the grind, the temper, the mould and the box are all handled in-house. Nothing arrives half-finished.
100%Lam Dong cacao
0Preservatives & artificial flavouring
Bean to BarWhole process in-house
The journey from pod to bar
1
Harvest
Pods are selected from Lam Dong gardens and picked at full ripeness. Under-ripe fruit never develops the sugar in the pulp that fermentation needs, and no later stage can put it back.
2
Ferment
Beans are fermented by the Nakano Mame method, with time and temperature closely controlled so the natural aroma develops, astringency drops and the flavour structure comes out balanced. This is the stage most makers skip by buying beans already fermented by someone else.
3
Roast and grind
A gentle hand roast, then stone grinding rather than industrial heat pressing, so the natural cocoa butter stays in the mass and the aromatics are not driven off.
4
Temper and mould
Precise temperature work, moulded bar by bar, which is what produces the glossy snap and smooth texture.
5
Finish and pack
Hand-finished packaging in wooden or premium paper boxes — ready for gifting or export.
The range
| Product | What it is |
|---|---|
| Nama chocolate | Japanese-style soft ganache. Silky texture, balanced bittersweet, made with pure Lam Dong cacao. Chilled, short shelf life — a favourite for holiday and anniversary gifting. |
| Dark chocolate bars | High cacao percentage, no additives. Straight expression of the origin. |
| Pure cocoa powder | Non-alkalized, 22–25% cocoa butter. Retail pouches and 20–25 kg bulk for wholesale and export. |
| Roasted cacao beans | Roasted whole beans, eaten as they are or used in baking. |
| Cashew spread and coated fruit | Cacao paired with Vietnamese agricultural products. |
| Chocolate drinks | Served on site — fresh cacao prepared artisan-style. |
| Handcrafted gift boxes | Wooden boxes with hand-tied ribbon. Quantity and packaging customisable for corporate gifting, international partner reception and MICE events. |
Visiting: the workshop
At BALAVA Chocolate House in Lam Dong, visitors can take part in a hands-on chocolate-making workshop — working with the beans, the grinding and the moulding rather than watching from behind glass. It runs well for families, small private groups and travellers who would rather do something than be shown something.
Why the Lam Dong origin matters
Vietnam holds an unusual position in the cacao world. The International Cocoa Organization lists roughly twenty countries as producers of fine or flavour cocoa, and in the April 2024 revision of its Annex C, Vietnam is recorded at 80% fine flavour — among the highest proportions on the list. Only about 12% of world cocoa exports fall into this category at all.
What that means for a bar is simply this: the raw material is capable of carrying a distinctive flavour, and whether it does depends entirely on how it is fermented and roasted. That is the part BALAVA holds onto.
Talk to BALAVA
Wholesale pricing, private label, samples and export documentation — we answer in English.
Sources. Fine or flavour cocoa classification and the 80% figure for Vietnam: International Cocoa Organization, Annex C of the International Cocoa Agreement, as revised in April 2024. Production process, product range and workshop details are supplied by BALAVA. Founding year, production volume and any certification not stated here are not claimed. BALAVA is part of TGROUP TRADE & TRAVEL JSC.
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