This month we chatted with Matias Carzalo, CEO of Mamuschka and one of the partners of the firm, who told us the secrets behind the famous chocolate.

What is the history of the company?

Mamuschka was founded in 1989 in the city of San Carlos de Bariloche. With a lot of effort and dedication we consolidated. We currently sell more than 200 different types of chocolates, as well as baked goods, pastries, roasted beans, coffee and handmade ice creams. Which are tasted by our customers in our stores in: Bariloche, Villa Langostura, San Martin de los Andes, El Calafate and Buenos Aires.

What are your values when it comes to quality production?

We are a company that has a modern conception of triple impact: economic, social and environmental. Obviously, the environmental part of our business is based on organic production and the non-use of agrochemicals. We also have social commitments, since we seek to improve the quality of the company’s workers. Beyond seeking to obtain an economic profit. When it comes to production, we look at the entire production process down to the smallest detail. From the selection and importation of beans from different regions, the tests with different roasting profiles to find the best expression for each product, and the elaboration of tablets, chocolates and figures, among dozens of other varieties.

What does it mean that your products are elaborated through the bean to bar method?

It means that we produce from imported cocoa beans that we roast in Bariloche and we turn it into a highly demanded product. A not minor detail is that all chocolate is gluten-free, soy-free, GMO-free and based exclusively on organic inputs. For this we take the traceability concepts of the wine and coffee industries. That is why we travel to the producing countries, to choose the beans and locally elaborate the cocoa mass that makes the difference in the final product.

What is the importance of certification?

Certification is very important because it gives the consumer the guarantee that no chemicals are used during the stages of the production cycle. This fact is audited by OIA. Thus the consumer can be sure that he is consuming a quality product. In addition, our factory is certified free of TACC. This is another differential that shows the quality we are looking for.

How is the chocolate production process?

We obtain the raw material from different regions. For example, cocoa from Peru has citrus notes and is creamy; on the other hand, cocoa from Ecuador is darker and melts more when tasted. We use both for presentations that have between 56% and 100% cocoa. But the central factor is when it is placed in the roaster, which gives spirit and flavor to the bean. We program the roasting profile because that is where the flavor precursors develop. Once roasted, the beans are hulled and ground. Then it is refined, mixed with organic sugar, undergoes a process called conching to make the dough soft, tempered, molded so that it shines and breaks when broken and, finally, each tablet is wrapped by hand.

I would like to point out that we receive advice from INTI specialists in microbiological and gluten analysis, as well as in aspects of production, processing of raw materials and packaging systems.

How is the production process of organic jams and what are their types?

We have jams in our catalog. We make them in different flavors: blueberry, currant, strawberry, raspberry, cherry, cassis, blackberry and elderberry. To produce them we mix them with organic sugar from Jujuy, organic cocoa from Peru and organic pecan nuts. This is how we arrive at a high value-added product.

You have received several international awards. How important are they?

We have indeed received international awards at the International Chocolate Awards and the Academy of Chocolate Awards. This represents a great pride for us and a great responsibility to continue producing with quality.

How can consumers purchase your products?

We invite you to visit our website: https://www.mamuschka.com/. All our products can be purchased in all our stores (Bariloche, San Martín de los Andes, Villa La Angostura, El Calafate and Buenos Aires) or through the web.

What are the company’s next goals?

In the future we want to export to Latin American countries, the United States and Europe. We are currently exporting to Japan and we would like to continue expanding the organic line, trying to increase the supply of organic products in Argentina with added value. To this end, we will continue to be committed to working with the production chain, thinking of new products and with ingredients that are closer to us. We are studying different ways of handling cocoa, always keeping an environmental commitment in the packaging.