The city of Crystal is now home to artisanal chocolatier Inkakaw.
Owner Monica Jimenez first pursued a career in finance, but became discouraged by the glass ceiling.
“I was the only one in the office that had a degree, and I saw how they preferred others to go up,” Monica told the Sun Post. “I said, ‘No, I have to do something else.’”
Inkakaw owner Monica Jimenez shows off various chocolate products in Crystal.
(photo by Anja Wuolu)
What could she do instead?
Some of her relatives in Ecuador own Hacienda San Jose Chocolate, which has been in business since the 1930s. She reached out to a nephew to ask about importing that chocolate to the United States.
In 2018, Monica started selling Hacienda San Jose Chocolate here in Minnesota. Her four children and her husband became involved. After a few years, they started making their own chocolate using local ingredients and cacao imported from that single plantation owned by their relatives. Today they sell San Jose products made in Ecuador as well as Inkakaw products made in Crystal using Ecuadorian cacao.
Monica said the Inkakaw logo, a gold sun with a face, depicts her ancestors’ sun god. The name of the business, Inkakaw, combines the words “Inca” and “cacao.”
For Abel Jimenez, Monica’s son, the family chocolate business is not his main occupation. Nevertheless, it is a great way to connect with heritage and extended relatives in Ecuador. It’s also enjoyable to taste the different chocolate recipes as his parents try new things.
“When we decided to get into the chocolate business, I was ecstatic,” Abel said. “I still am. I’m probably the go-to taste tester. I wear that very proudly.”
Monica said some people will use cacao nibs in salads or for snacking. They also sell powdered cacao to be made into beverages; hot chocolate is most popular in the winter.
The bars come in 70%, 80%, 90% and 100% cacao. Based on a 60-gram bar, this represents approximately:
70% cacao = 42 grams of cacao
80% cacao = 48 grams of cacao
90% cacao = 54 grams of cacao
100% cacao = 60 grams of cacao
There are products with hazelnuts, cherries, pistachios and sea salt. Each product is handmade, with the emphasis on quality of flavor and healthy ingredients over visual appeal.
Abel said younger shoppers tend to prefer sweeter chocolate, while the older customers buy the ones with less sugar.
Monica said darker chocolates, with more cacao, are generally healthier, but “chocolate should not be considered a treatment or a substitute for a healthy diet.”
Though chocolate has been largely branded as candy in the United States, studies tend to suggest some health benefits from eating dark chocolate.
According to a 2022 study published by the Oxford University Press, “Cocoa extract supplementation did not significantly reduce total cardiovascular events among older adults but reduced [cardiovascular disease] death by 27%.” The study advocated for further research.
In another study published in September by The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, cacao intake appeared to lower blood pressure.
Today, Monica and her husband live in New Hope. Abel lives in Bloomington. But it was important for them to put their store in Crystal, because that is the first place they lived when they moved to Minnesota from Ecuador in 2002.
“We were very welcomed by the community, by the schools, by the local stores, our neighbors and everyone,” Abel said. “So [when] we got the chance to open up the store, it was the best option we could ever think of.”
Abel recalled fondly attending Sandburg Middle School down the street.
“I love it,” Monica said of Crystal. “It’s very peaceful. Great neighborhood. We loved that house.”
After years of appearing online, in farmers markets and some grocery stores, the storefront at 2748 Douglas Drive North, Crystal, opened to the public on Sept. 26.
Learn more at chocolatesanjose-minneapolis.com.