Frequently Asked Questions

• How is chocolate made?
• What is alkalized cocoa?
• Are AH!LASKA products dairy-free?
• What does "organic" mean on AH!LASKA products?
• Are AH!LASKA products certified Kosher?
• Are AH!LASKA products "fair trade"?

Raw cocoa beans are dried and roasted, then they are cracked, and the "nibs" (the center of the cocoa bean) are ground. Using a hydraulic press, the cocoa butter is extracted, leaving a dense, rich, and bitter substance called chocolate liquor. Despite the name, this substance does not contain any alcohol. After drying, the chocolate liquor is ground into powder form. This is unsweetened chocolate.

Cocoa is available two ways: 1) "natural"; and 2) "alkalized" which is also known as "dutched" or "dutch process." Natural cocoa has nothing added to it and retains its rich, slightly bitter taste. Alkalized or dutched cocoa uses hydroxide to neutralize the acids in the cocoa, producing a less bitter and smoother taste. Both taste profiles are useful and recipes will often specify one type or the other, especially for baked items. For AH!LASKA products, we use only natural cocoa.

Our Organic Chocolate Syrup is dairy-free, as well as peanut-free, gluten-free, and fat-free!

Our Organic Baker's Cocoa is dairy-free, but it is made in a facility that processes peanuts, sesame, dairy, eggs, fish (as a gelatin), soy and wheat.

Our Organic Non-Dairy Cocoa Mix does not contain dairy ingredients, but it is made in a facility that processes peanuts, sesame, dairy, eggs, fish (as a gelatin), soy and wheat.

Our Organic Chocolatey Chocolate Mix contains dairy ingredients in the form of organic fat-free milk powder.

Organic means that all the ingredients are grown, harvested, produced, and packaged without chemicals. Our products are third-party certified organic by QAI (Quality Assurance International).

Organic means that all the ingredients are grown, harvested, produced, and packaged without chemicals. Our products are third-party certified organic by QAI (Quality Assurance International).

Yes. Our products are certified Kosher-Dairy, meaning there is dairy in the product or the product is made on equipment that processes dairy ingredients.

Our organic cocoa is grown in Central America and parts of South America. It is purchased at premium prices and produced to standards that map very closely to globally defined fair trade practices. Many of the growers who supply us with organic cocoa are members of fair trade coalitions within their own countries. We support the principles of fair trade. However, our products do not have fair trade certification.

We have learned a great deal from all of our chocolate growers and suppliers during our many years of doing business together. We stand by their statements that they are producing cocoa under fair labor conditions. We all belong to the World Cocoa Foundation and the Chocolate Manufacturer's Association. These groups are committed to working towards the eradication of "slave labor" conditions in the cocoa trade on a global level.