Audiva café isn’t the easiest spot for visitors to Chiang Mai. It is one of a number of chocolate/cacao destinations that can only be accessed if you rent a car or decide to dedicate a budget to taxis and ubers. But it was worth the 20 minute or so drive. Audiva isn’t just a chocolate maker, making chocolate from the bean, it also produces those beans at their farm just a few minutes away. One of a small, but growing, group of “tree to bar” chocolate makers.
Founder and head chocolate maker Theerapong is also a pharmacist (he runs the pharmacy next door as well) and he brings a lot of his pharmaceutical knowledge and attention to detail into his chocolate making and cacao producing as well. Bars and drinks are made from cacaos fermented in different ways which brings out different flavors and levels of acidity and bitterness. We tasted many cacao pulp juices on our trip and the one sold here was by far our favourite.
Their café is tiny but busy serving a range of drinks and sweets. It seemed to be the go to spot for locals on their way to the gym, finishing off a walk, bringing their kids to school..its obviously an important part of the community there already, even though it is relatively new. It’s right across the street from a market filled with food vendors offering Northern Thai specialties so you can easily turn this into a lunch stop as well. Be sure to order one of their specialties: a dried banana dipped in chocolate.
Audiva workhop café: 225/256 Kad Farang Village, Amphoe Hang Dong, Thailand, Chiang Mai. Open daily 8:30-6pm @audiva_thailandcraftchocolate
