Eleven weeks, four minutes
Eleven weeks of work, four minutes of pleasure
Yiga roasts, grinds, rests and tempers small-batch chocolate by hand in Thimphu — patient work for a fleeting, unforgettable finish.
☕
Morning
Slow tasting, warm bread and a quiet start.
☀
Afternoon
A square of chocolate with tea and time.
✦
Celebration
The little pleasure, shared at the table.
⌂
Take away
Bars wrapped for the road or home.
Whispery folded tea. Thimphu warmth, slowly at first.
On the maker's bench
Three ingredients, nowhere to hide
The percentage is simply how much of the bar comes from the cacao bean itself. The higher it climbs, the less sugar there is to cover a rushed roast or a tired batch. We keep our formula simple so the cacao can speak for itself.
72 hrs
stone grinding
3 weeks
resting & mellowing
12 kg
small-batch maximum
What we make, right now
Eight things, made in small batches
Dagmar 90%
Deep, bright and concentrated.
Punakha 70%
The house bar — balanced and bright.
Bumthang Milk 45%
Milk chocolate with darker edges.
Thimphu Pepper 65%
A dark bar with a quiet pepper finish.
A note from the maker
“We are not trying to make the best chocolate in the world. We are trying to make chocolate that tastes honestly of where it came from — and to still be doing it in twenty years.”
— Yiga founder
Tempering, the quiet work before the shine.
Behind the bar
Eleven families, one long drive south
Our cacao comes from smallholder families whose harvests are selected for clarity and consistency. The road is long, but direct relationships keep more value close to the source.
From bean to bar
Four steps, none of them hurried
01
Sourcing
Beans are bought directly from trusted growers and selected for clarity.
02
Roasting
Small batches, careful heat, and no rush.
03
Grinding
Seventy-two hours in granite until the texture softens.
04
Resting
Bars rest until the flavour settles into balance.
The valley
Where the cacao comes from
A short note from YIGA about craft, place and the people behind each bar.
The room
Ten people, one marble slab
A short note from YIGA about craft, place and the people behind each bar.
The counter
Something to carry home
A short note from YIGA about craft, place and the people behind each bar.
Overheard at the counter
What people say after the first square
“The first chocolate I have tasted that actually tastes like cacao itself. The spice is extraordinary.”
Tashi Wangdi
“We give it away, then we regret it. Every bar disappears before the week is over.”
Karma Dorji
“Thoughtful, serious chocolate. The flavour stays with us long after.”
Elena Rossi
Come and say hello
The kettle is usually on
Norzin Lam, Thimphu. Taste at the counter, ask questions, and take a bar home.