Dagoba Organic Chocolate
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Chocolate manufacturing |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder | Frederick Schilling |
| Fate | Acquired by The Hershey Company in 2006; divested to private ownership in June 2021 |
| Headquarters | Ashland , United States |
| Products | Specialty chocolate bars, baking chocolate, cacao powder, chocodrops, drinking chocolate |
Dagoba Organic Chocolate was established in 2001 by Frederick Schilling. In 2006, The Hershey Company acquired the brand, but in June 2021, Hershey divested Dagoba along with Krave Pure Foods and Scharffen Berger to concentrate on salty snacks and nutrition bars, resulting in Dagoba returning to private ownership. After this divestment, Scharffen Berger moved its production and headquarters to Dagoba’s facility in Ashland, Oregon, and registered as an LLC in the state. Conversely, Dagoba did not complete re-registration, and its website now redirects to Hershey’s platform where the brand is no longer promoted.
The term Dagoba originates from the Sinhalese word dhatu-garbha, which translates to "hemispherical dome" or stupa.
Products
Dagoba’s range includes specialty chocolate bars, baking chocolate, cacao powder, chocodrops, and drinking chocolate. Since August 2012, all their products have been certified by the Rainforest Alliance; the company previously held fair trade certification on some items but has since discontinued it. All cacao beans utilized are Rainforest Alliance Certified.
Chocolate bars
The assortment of chocolate bars from Dagoba features various cacao percentages:
- 84% Pure Extra Bittersweet
- Rich Dark 74% Bittersweet
- Picante 74%: A spicy blend incorporating chilies, cacao nibs, nutmeg, orange, and vanilla
- Dark 59% Semisweet
- Lavender Blueberry 59%: Contains wild blueberries and lavender essential oil
- Ginger Lime 37%: Milk chocolate enhanced with crystallized ginger and lime essential oil
- Milk 37%
- White Chocolate 37%: Includes raspberries, vanilla, and peppermint essential oil
Dagoba also produces a selection of Drinking Chocolates:
- Unsweetened: Non-dutched cacao powder combined with 100% dark chocolate bits
- Authentic: Non-dutched cacao powder mixed with 100% chocolate bits and cane sugar
- Xocolatl: Non-dutched cacao powder blended with chocolate bits, cane sugar, chiles, and cinnamon
Other offerings include non-dutched cacao powder, 74% bittersweet Chocolate Drops, as well as Baking Bars available in 59% and 100% cacao concentrations.