Taipei, Dec. 16 (CNA) Cocoa beans from Taiwan's Pingtung county received a number of accolades at the latest edition of the Golden Bean Awards, an annual event founded by the U.K.'s Academy of Chocolate to honor the best cocoa beans and chocolate products from around the world.
According to the list of award categories and winners released by the academy, Pingtung's Fu Wan Chocolate won four silver and seven bronze awards in the "Tree to Bar - Plain (Dark)" category.
The category specifically judged chocolate products made by companies involved in the full process of chocolate making, from cultivating trees and growing beans to processing beans into chocolate bars.
Pingtung's Hey Fun Chocolate also won three silver and four bronze awards in the same category, while Joy Cacao Coffee Plantation in Pingtung won one silver.
In the category of "Tree To Bar - Milk," where milk is used in the making of chocolate products, Fu Wan Chocolate took home one silver award.
Fu Wan Chocolate was recognized with one gold, six silver and six bronze accolades in the "Tree To Bar - Seasoned" category, while Hey Fun Chocolate came away with one silver and two bronze awards in the same category.
Fu Wan Chocolate's gold medal was won using red Oolong tea from Taiwan to season their award-winning product.
Competing in the "Dark Bean To Bar - Seasoned" category, Taipei boutique chocolate workshop Cacai Cacao Ltd. won a bronze award.
Not only did Taiwan companies receive considerable attention at the awards, Taiwan universities also performed relatively well.
Pingtung's Meiho University and New Taipei's Jinwen University of Science and Technology both secured one bronze award each in the "Dark Bean To Bar (Under 90%)" category.
Speaking with CNA, Taiwan native Lin Wei-chun (林韋君), who serves as a member of the jury, said Taiwan's chocolate products stood out at the awards.
The artistry and craft of Taiwan's entries this year made quite an impression on the jury and a number of chocolate industry experts, she added.
Lin said she was glad to see Taiwanese competitors use locally sourced specialties to their advantage, adopting the likes of dried Longan fruit and Taiwanese teas to elevate the presence and uniqueness of Taiwan's cocoa beans.
In addition to Fu Wan Chocolate's gold winning product which used 62 percent Taiwan red Oolong tea, other ingredients used by Taiwan companies included other local teas as well as flowers, fruit and wild pepper.
