A passion that grows with research, innovation, reinvention... Creation is the beating heart of Oberweis. So, after a surprise encounter, Jeff Oberweis began designing a new range of mainly vegan sweet treats a little over a year ago. He’s bringing us something that’s never been seen or tasted before. His innovation sees him use an ingredient that has been discarded in the cacao harvest up to now: the pulp.

He had a lightbulb moment when he met the entrepreneur Anian Schreiber in early 2020. The businessman had founded a Swiss-Ghanaian start-up called Koa, partly in the Ghanaian rainforest’s cocoa plantations. He had just designed a totally innovative process enabling him to market a brand new product: cocoa juice from the white pulps surrounding the cocoa beans.

That was all it took for Jeff Oberweis to look to the future, he couldn’t wait to introduce the world to this “new chocolate product” from their first encounters. Because this exotic juice has countless qualities.

One of them, essential to bakers, is the flavour which strikes the perfect balance between the fruit’s sweetness and acidity with a delicate bitter hint: “Most importantly, you can’t try to make comparisons. It’s like nothing else. It’s an exceptional flavour...”

Also, this precious nectar has been untapped up to now. Like cocoa’s “angel’s share”... “Because fermentation begins a few hours after the cacao husk is open so you have to be fast,” says Anian Schreiber.

The project began in 2017 and has already established partnerships with more than 1600 farmers in 35 areas in Ghana with over 35 local staff members on-site in the Koa team. The employment it has created in the production sector and delivery chain as well as on-site investments provides long-term added value.

Aside from its exceptional flavour, Koa enables countless cacao farmers in Ghana to improve their living conditions as they can earn 30 % more with the project than before! “It takes just three hours for the additive-free and 100 % natural Koa cocoa juice to be pasteurised, vacuum-packed and shipped”… namely to Luxembourg where Jeff Oberweis has created a new range of chocolate treats.

By exploring the pulp from cocoa beans, its natural sweetness and subtle acidity and making new rules in pâtisserie, Oberweis has created the latest trend in flavour and texture. A real flavour (r)evolution!