Fortunato No. 4
Discover Fortunato No. 4
Meet one of the world’s most extraordinary chocolates. Fortunato No. 4 is a rare, heirloom cacao grown in the Peruvian Andes and prized for its remarkable depth, complexity, and naturally rich flavor. At Chubby Chipmunk Hand-Dipped Chocolates, we craft this exceptional cacao into chocolates that capture its distinctive character and depth.
The Discovery
The USDA’s Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, confirmed that the trees were indeed Pure Nacional cacao—the rare variety believed to have been lost.
Further testing revealed Pure Nacional trees growing throughout the Marañón Canyon, where 6,000-foot canyon walls create a unique high-altitude microclimate.
The Chocolate
Pearson and Horsley spent two years developing the right fermentation and drying process to bring out the special flavor of Pure Nacional. They went on to found Marañón Chocolate, the company that produces Fortunato No. 4 from these remarkable beans.
“The chocolate is intense, with a floral aroma and a persistent mellow richness. Its lack of bitterness is remarkable.”
Florence Fabricant, The New York Times
The Journey
In February 2013 and again in April 2016, Chubby Chipmunk founder Mary “Chip” Tautkus traveled to Peru at Dan Pearson’s invitation.
Chip saw the Pure Nacional trees firsthand, helped harvest the prized cacao beans and watched them being processed into chocolate.
“What an adventure it was to see where it all began, and to meet the actual ‘Raiders of the Lost Chocolate!’”
A Rare Story Continues
From a cacao variety once thought lost to an extraordinary chocolate, the story of Fortunato No. 4 is one of discovery, dedication and a little bit of chocolate magic.
FROM FORTUNATO NO. 4 TO BLACK HILLS GOLD
A chocolate this rare deserves an extraordinary creation.
The Icebox Nugget
Black Hills gold, reimagined
The legendary Ice Box Nugget is a piece of Black Hills history. Chubby Chipmunk was given permission to create an exact replica, transforming this famous gold nugget into an edible work of art.
A Rare Treasure
Just as the original nugget represents the extraordinary treasures found in the Black Hills, Fortunato No. 4 represents a rare treasure from the world of chocolate.
Made with Fortunato No. 4
Handcrafted with Fortunato No. 4, the chocolate replica brings together two remarkable stories of discovery, rarity and craftsmanship.
Gold inspired the original
Fortunato No. 4 brings it to life in chocolate.
