Cocoa Belle Chocolates creates handcrafted artisan products inspired by Southern desserts for a nostalgic taste. This Black-owned company, founded by African-American business owner Carmen Portillo, creates delicious artisan truffles. While in Europe, Portillo traveled to Paris, France, and caught the chocolate fever! When she returned home to Little Rock over a year later, she longed for that experience again. She researched ways to learn the trade. Portillo has gathered techniques from world-renowned chefs. She studied at the Notter School for Confectionary and Chocolate Arts in Orlando, and she also has a certificate from Ecole Chocolat Professional Chocolate Arts. Portillo is the first and only Certified Professional Chocolatier in Arkansas. Her wish is “to marry my classically trained European chocolate making skills with my Southern roots.”
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