If the idea of celebrating this year’s Jólabókaflód or ‘a flood of books’, (an Icelandic Christmas Eve tradition) wrapped in a cosy blanket with a warm drink and some chocolates to bring in the festive cheer sounds just about right to you, then read on. Icelander take their sweets very seriously and Omnom chocolate is one it. Considering its chilly climate, chocolates are quite popular in Iceland. Since import restrictions made it difficult to gain access to foreign chocolates even till a few years back, they made their own. And thank heavens they did!
The Speciality – omnom chocolate
One of the most popular chocolate brands, founded by two friends chef Kjartan Gíslason and entrepreneur Óskar Þórðarson in Reykjavik, Iceland in 2013, is the Omnom Chocolate, a premium Iceland exclusive bean-to-bar chocolate. (The good news is that they also export internationally now). Omnom produces small batches of bean-to-bar chocolates with the finest quality of cacao around the world.
Omnom’s mission is to make the best quality chocolates with original, high quality ingredients. They’re 100% genuine in their approach. All the ingredients- including sea salt from the remote Westfjord in Iceland; single-origin cocoa beans from Madagascar, Nicaragua and Tanzania; coffee beans from Brazil; natural Icelandic powdered milk and organic sugarcane- are individually collected with care placing sustainability, ethics and transparency at the heart of the process. Omnom buys ingredients through direct trade from planters to further facilitate the social, economic and environmental impact of its purchases since it believes that sustainability begins with traceability. Through their work, they have not just filled the lives of their customers with joy but have also managed to bring a smile on the faces and create a difference in the lives of the farmers who work so hard to grow what we so relish – a contribution otherwise ignored by most large corporates.
How they are made
It is truly said that ingredients value the maker that values it. The organic cocoa beans that are purchased from a farm in Ambanja in the Sambirano Valley and are fermented and purposely dried to give them their distinct flavour, have been used in some of the Omnom bars winning the brand no less than 28 international awards till date! Through their buying power, Omnom has been a catalyst of social change by collaborating with Tanzanian farmers Simran and Brian of KokoaKamili. In the course of three years, KokoaKamili has distributed over 140,000 seedlings to their farmers to invest in the future development of cacao farming in the region. In the journey to deliver some of the most delicious chocolates that the world has tasted, Omnom has managed to collaborate with few of the most unique changemakers across the globe who are trying to make a difference in their own capacities.These stories go on to prove what impact a brand from a small Nordic nation can have on the world only if they dare to dream and resolve to be creators of the change that they aspire to see.
Omnom’s DNA is seeped with Icelandic aesthetics that include pop art and fantastical creatures that have acted as inspirations for them. Unlike traditional chocolate bars, Omnom’s chocolates come in geometrical shards instead of regular squares as a tribute to the contemporary Nordic architecture and surrealism which is both minimalistic and baroque.
Conclusion
Handmade in Iceland in small batches, the premium Omnom chocolates offer single-origin chocolates, seasonal flavours, Iceland inspired bars and the brand’s unique innovation: Krunch, Omnom’s exclusive chocolate-covered malt balls. Including all varieties of dark, milk and white chocolate, some of their unique bestsellers are the Sea Salted Almonds Chocolate Bar and the Black N’ Burnt Barley Chocolate Bar. With many of the varieties of these premium chocolaty fusions going out of stock at a quick pace, it’ll totally be your loss if you don’t check them out soon!