Overview:
AYITIKA, a Haitian chocolate firm, made a robust impression on the Salon du Chocolat in New York, the place its Haiti-grown, award-winning sweets attracted keen attendees. The corporate, based in 2016, sources substances from 2,500 Haitian farming households and focuses on all-natural, plantation-to-bar manufacturing.
By William Farrington
NEW YORK—AYITIKA, a Haitian chocolate firm, had a profitable stint on the Salon du Chocolat in New York from March 21 to 23, drawing in attendees with its award-winning flavors and Haiti-grown substances.
The corporate, based in 2016 by Jean Chesnel Jean in Haiti’s southern area of Les Cayes, showcased its artisanal sweets on the worldwide truthful, the place over 70 exhibitors from 16 international locations gathered on the Jacob Javits Heart. With its plantation-to-bar method, AYITIKA companions with 2,500 Haitian farming households to supply high-quality cocoa, guaranteeing that each ingredient in its sweets is sourced immediately from Haiti.
Matsah Jean, who works in advertising for AYITIKA and is the daughter of the founder, stated sampling was the important thing to robust gross sales.
“I believe individuals actually appreciated it. We had some actually good responses from individuals attempting our samples,” she stated.
“That’s how we obtained lots of people to purchase—as a result of they tasted earlier than shopping for it. And after they style it, they only are like, ‘Oh, that is so good.’ And after that, they purchase it. We made a variety of gross sales yesterday, even when it was gradual, however we nonetheless made a variety of gross sales.”
Among the many standout choices was AYITIKA’s darkish chocolate infused with guava, a fruit grown within the firm’s personal gardens. The flavour, which has received gold and silver medals in Paris in 2020, 2022, and 2024, was the perfect vendor on the truthful.
“All the pieces is rising within the backyard. It’s pure—nothing added, actually, simply darkish chocolate with the fruit or any taste we put. However the guava one, we received the Gold Connoisseur in Paris for it,” Matsah stated.
Many attendees have been drawn to AYITIKA’s sales space, desperate to pattern the corporate’s all-natural, Haiti-grown sweets. Amongst them was Becky, a New Yorker celebrating her birthday, who particularly loved the guava-infused darkish chocolate. Her good friend Sarah, additionally intrigued by AYITIKA’s story, discovered the coffee-flavored chocolate “very wealthy.” Their reactions mirrored these of many guests who, after tasting the samples, eagerly made purchases,
Manning the sales space alongside Matsah and Jean Chesnel Jean was Reessendy Saint Paul, who helped introduce attendees to AYITIKA’s merchandise. The robust response on the Salon du Chocolat is one other step within the firm’s mission to proceed to deliver Haiti’s cocoa to the world.
Under are photographs of AYITIKA’s sales space at Salon du Chocolat New York 2025.
