River-Sea's Origin Story
And Coco the Sloth
Krissee and Mariano D'Aguiar started making chocolate in 2017 while visiting family in Northern Brazil where they realized that the delicious food could be a connecting bridge between their life in DC and their community in Brazil. They saw the capability to provide income opportunities, in an eco-friendly way that doesn’t require cutting down the rainforest, but leaves plant canopy and wildlife to thrive.
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From the moment they made their first batch of chocolate, they recognized this as their mission; a mission to wrap their heart around.
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Krissee's mom was born a premie in Romania at a time when they gave chocolate to premature babies as a first food. Her grandfather traded his stamp collection to an illegal smuggler bringing Swiss chocolate across the border in order to feed her mom. So Krissee wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for chocolate.
Founders
Mariano Specialty: Import and Export Logistics and Finance, Fermentation and Farm Outreach
Krissee Specialty: Bean to Bar Chocolate Making, Graduate of Ecole Chocolat - Professional School of Chocolate Arts
Why "River-Sea"?
Our chocolate journey started where the
Amazon River meets the Atlantic Sea
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Love and reverence for the ascending and ebbing tide
Crashing into the downstream flow of the river.
The river so wide
It looks like the sea
Saltwater and freshwater meet chaotically
Bringing vibrance, nourishment, and harmony.
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Most of the world's cacao
grows in coastal jungle areas influenced by the daily flow of the tide.
The rhythm of a producer's life synchronizes with
the waves and moon, not the hands of a clock.
What People Write About Us
Check Out the River-Sea YouTube Video Playlist Here.
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Chocolate Critic and Chocolate Blogger reviews of our chocolate:
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C-Spot Review score 9.01 River-Sea, river-do...Understanding -- whether intellectually &/or intuitively &/or instagrammarly -- this barsmith does produce. 7/16/2019
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C-Spot Review score 8.69 : Exemplar: River-Sea Chocolates. Off the beaten path yet well on their way. 1/29/2019
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TimeCupSoul: River-Sea Chocolates: Local Vendor Provides Delicious Chocolate Escape 7/5/2019
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Time To Eat Chocolate: River-Sea Chocolates 8/19/2018
Articles/Videos about our business:
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Only in Your State - One Of The Most Incredible Small Businesses In Virginia, River-Sea Chocolates Serves Up Craft Chocolates With A Positive Global Impact 9/21/2021
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Voice of America Korea - The American Tale 9/18/2021
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Northern Virginia Magazine - Hidden Foodie Gems April 2021
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Northern Virginia Magazine - Alice's Latest Obsession: River-Sea Chocolates 01/12/2021
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Feel Good Fridays - River-Sea Chocolate Factory 11/27/2020
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ABC 7 - ECHO helps adults with disabilities continue working during pandemic 9/3/2020
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Northern Virginia Magazine - If you're going to buy sweets for Valentine's Day, try Chantilly's River-Sea Chocolates 2/13/2019
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Adventure Moms DC - Swimming in Chocolate at River-Sea Chocolate Factory 3/4/2019
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Jennifer the Beholder - Guest Krissee D'Aguiar River-Sea Chocolates 7/20/2018
Articles about our Sustainable shipping project:
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Tres Hombres - Cargo Under Sail Video 4/23/2019
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El Informador: Santa Marta is the Pioneer in Sustainable Export (in Spanish) "In the facilities of the Port of Santa Marta, the Dutch-flagged sailboat Tres Hombres yesterday loaded 14 ton of cocoa and six of coffee harvested in the Sierra Nevada, products destined for the United States and Europe. With the operation, the capital of Magdalena is consolidated as the first city in the country that exports in a friendly way with the environment, at least during the modern era." 3/13/2019
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Nice article on the scientific platform N+1: Colombia will export cacao and coffee using a CO2-free ship. (in Spanish) 3/4/2019
Jobs
Live the chocolate life