Marou was founded in 2011 by a pair of French friends, Vincent Mourou and Samuel Maruta, who spend their early years scouring the Vietnamese countryside for great cacao.

After googling “cacao plantation” Sam and Vincent set course for a farm in Ba Ria Province with no address. On the ferry ride back to Saigon, they vowed to start a company called Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat. Armed with nothing but a blender, an oven, and cake tins—they got to work in Sam’s kitchen.

Today Marou makes chocolate bars on the edge of the city Sam and Vincent call home. Samuel and Vincent continue to rely on a tight network of small farmers from whom they buy the best beans, one bag at a time, for a premium price. Marou roasts this cacao slow and low so you can taste their hard work and the terroir of each provincial origin.

With a strong focus on sustainability, Marou is helping develop an agroforestry project, planting cacao among other trees rather than clearing them, in Madagui, 100 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. Marou is also seeking farmers for direct partnerships, aiming to cover 1,000 hectares within 10 years, about five times the current figure. It gives landowners fermented seeds and training, such as in composting and trimming. Mourou hopes it will be the start of a greener, more productive phase in the global industry.