“Hãy yêu quê hương của bạn” – “Love your Homeland” is part 3 of our third collection.
Graham Greene wrote “They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul.”
“Vincent Mourou left a successful advertising career in San Francisco to find himself in Vietnam. Instead, he found Samuel Maruta, a recovering banker living in Saigon with his wife and two kids. During a camping trip in the jungle in 2010, they quickly decided to make a break for it.
After googling “cacao plantation” Sam and Vincent set course for a farm in Ba Ria Province with no address. On the ferry ride back to Saigon, they vowed to start a company called Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat. Armed with nothing but a blender, an oven, and cake tins—they got to work in Sam’s kitchen.
Today Marou makes chocolate bars on the edge of the city Sam and Vincent call home.
Marou roasts this cacao slow and low so you can taste their hard work and the terroir of each provincial origin.
“Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat was among the first “bean to bar” concerns in Asia and one of the few in the world to make chocolate at origin. What began as a dream for two wayward Frenchmen has snowballed into a brand of pure dark chocolate entirely made from Vietnam’s finest ingredients.” – Our hearts were touched by their philosophy and journey. We want to continue to draw their dream bigger by spreading our home flavour here, in Budapest – Hungary.
“Marou celebrates 10 years of bringing award-winning Vietnamese cacao to the world. At our favourite pho stall by our factory, co-founder Samuel got inspired by the fragrant spices grilling over a wood fire. A delightful blend of cardamom, star anise, coriander, cinnamon and cloves. Each of these five elemental spices pairs with cacao – but together it’s a full spectrum of flavour. Enjoy or quintessential ode to Vietnam”
Standard bar – 80 gram: 3,000 forint
“When our hand-selected Vietnamese cacao meets creamy grass-fed milk from the green pastures of Waikato, New Zealand – an unbelievable smooth symphony erupts. The pairing creates an indulgence of honey and caramel notes that will leave you reaching for more.”
Standard bar – 60 gram: 3,000 forint
“Six Vietnamese provinces lent their names to the single-origin chocolate bars that built Marou: Đắk Lắk, Lâm Đồng, Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa, Tiền Giang, Bến Tre. As a product of nature, the cacao that defines each bar tells us so much about soil and season. Droughts tend to draw sharper, citrus notes, while heavy rains invite fruit and spice flavors to blossom. The controlled chaos of fermentation bring subtle surprises.”
Single Origin Range
Each origin has its own characteristic: the richness of the soil, the frequency of the rains, the climate of each terroir lends distinctive flavors to the cacao grown in the Mekong Delta, the slopes of the Annamitic Range or the Central Highlands.
Standard bar – 80 gram: 2,500 forint
Mini bar – 24 gram: 1,100 forint
Bến Tre 78% Dark Chocolate: “Grown in the shade of the Mekong Delta’s sweetest coconuts, Bến Tre Province’s cacao speaks to the sweetness and strength of its people. The flavors range from dried coconut to young banana, but always remind us of the good that sprouts out of the ground in Vietnam.”
Tiền Giang 70% Dark Chocolate: “Some of the Mekong Delta’s most delicate cacao flourishes on island orchards that lie just a boat ride away from Saigon. Look for subtle traces of cinnamon and honey in this highly accessible chocolate.”
Đồng Nai 72% Dark Chocolate: “The jungle hills of Ðồng Nai Province lie northeast of Saigon. There, avocado farmers cultivate cacao that coats the palate in the creamy, sweet and sour flavors of a tropical fruit parfait.”
Lâm Đồng 74% Dark Chocolate: “This cacao thrives at the foot of lush forested hills in Vietnam’s central highlands. Lâm Đồng Province’s cool mountains yield mild chocolate but look alive for traces of prune, raisin and espresso.”
Bà Rịa 76% Dark Chocolate: “A powerfully aromatic chocolate made with beans from the hills of Bà Rịa province, with exceptionally high fruit notes, possibly the most distinctive chocolate.”
Đắk Lắk 70% Dark Chocolate: “A spectacularly spicy 70% bar with strong earthy tones, made with cacao from the highland districts of Đắk Lắk province.”
Origin Plus Range
Standard bar – 80 gram: 2,600 forint
Mini bar – 24 gram: 1,200 forint
Mekong Kumquat & Tiền Giang 68%: “Here in Vietnam, they are called kumquats, others call them calamondins, we call them delicious! These small citrus delights grow in the lush orchards of Tiền Giang Province, and their bright sweetness highlights the warm spicy notes of the well-known Tiền Giang chocolate.”
Arabica Coffee & Lâm Đồng 64%: “The finest Arabica beans in Vietnam thrive in the cool mountains around Dalat, the mountain capital of Lâm Dồng province. Marou gets some of its most inspiring cacao just below the town, in the steamy jungle of Madagui District. Coffee and cacao met somewhere on the winding road from Madagui to Dalat; we don’t think you’ll forget the encounter.”
Coconut Milk & Bến Tre 55%: “When faced with the prospect of making creamy milk chocolate, Marou looked no further than Bến Tre Province — a bright green patch of islands renowned for sweet coconuts and strong-willed people. A low dose of the province’s cassia-scented cacao gels nicely with the essence of the fruit overhead.”
Ginger Lime & Bà Rịa 69%: “Chocolate, ginger and lime are a few of Marou’s favorite things… They found all three in the province of Ba Ria and created the perfect harmony between the bitterness of cacao, the spiciness of ginger and the sweet acidity of lime.”
“The world’s most exquisite bars are being made in a garage in Ho Chi Minh City.” – The New York Times 2016
“Along the lush trails and red Basalt soils of Dak Lak province, we source fine-flavoured cacao and fresh peppercorns. A mouth-watering blend of nutty cacao and aromatic white pepper, with a pinch of sea salt added for perfection.”
Special edition: 100% Dark Chocolate. “Making a great 100 % chocolate bar is the hardest thing in the world. Discover an uncompromisingly dark chocolate, made from a select blend of the mildest cacao grown by framers in the south of Vietnam.”
Standard bar – 60 gram: 2,500 forint
Provision Marou: “Gourmet products with an adventurous spirit. From your kitchen to a jungle expedition, 3 Marou tins to enjoy everywhere.”
Cacao Powder – Tin 250 gram: 6,900 forint
Cacao Nibs – Jar 160 gram: 6,600 forint
Cacao Spread – Tin 250 gram: 7,600 forint
Cacao Powder: “Marou’s pure, non-alkalised cacao powder retains all of the distinct subtleties that are recognized in their award-winning chocolate. Marou believe that this purity of flavor will make the difference in any cacao drink, cake or pastry recipe.”
Cacao Nibs: “These small shelled cacao pieces have a unique crunchy texture and are well known for their health benefits. We use these same roasted cacao nibs to make our single origin chocolates. With their intense chocolaty notes, nibs are great to snack on or sprinkle in for added flavor to your morning yoghurt, cakes and recipes.”
Cacao Spread: “When cacao spread meets cashew nuts, a recipe with only natural and tasty ingredients from Vietnam. A unique spread with delicate roasted cashew flavor, in a smooth texture, with subtle coconut notes. To enjoy straight from the spoon!”
We want to bring our dreams to the world. We create a space that cherishes authenticity value and celebrates heritage.
Lam Sơn 