Meet DeNAe
“What first started out as a challenge to see if I could make the amazing chocolate I enjoyed while traveling became…DNA Chocolate.”
DENAE HOSTETLER
My heart is full, even on the hard days.
In my 20s I had traveled back-and-forth through Mexico and Central America. At one time staying with a family in Oaxaca that made the most amazing drinking chocolate and fresh papaya every morning. I wanted to see if I could make chocolate the way I had seen it made from some of these places I have traveled to.
Through these travels a seed was planted when I saw larger companies that had taken up prime indigenous land in Central America and pushed the aboriginals to the steep mountainsides where they had to relearn their way of life. I took a boat to one of these Mayan villages, and climbed to the top of the mountain where I had the privilege of sitting on their dirt floors and listen to their stories.
When I was later married with two young boys at home, a husband that was deployed often, and no family support here in Arizona. I felt I needed a hobby or challenge to keep my brain active.
The idea of getting my cacao directly from a farmer, so I could know there was no corruption involved; no stock market gurus getting rich off the coca commodity exchange, child trafficking, and no artificial ingredients.…was really exciting. And so DNA Chocolate was born.
Just pure unadulterated chocolate, made the original way it was intended to be made.
Denae with her husband and boys.
A special painted rendition of our logo by Denae’s Dad.
Denae in the DNA Kitchens creating delicious art through Chocolate
We are Live with Fox 10 …
Cory McCloskey dropped into our humble little factory (our converted guest house on our property), to get a tour of “how it’s made”. 2 live segments and a pre-recorded version that captures a little more.
What are saying about our chocolate?
“This chocolate is simply delicious! I’m usually a fan of strictly dark chocolate, but even the white chocolate became a fast favorite for me!”
“This is by far the BEST chocolate that I have tried by an amazing chocolatier. I have tried so many alternative chocolates since finding out about my allergies & DNA Chocolate reigns supreme!! The taste & texture is absolutely superb!!”
“Step aside big box chocolates! I’ve never had such amazing raw chocolate. Ever. When the chocolatier explained how she makes her bars I knew this was the real deal!”