Kessho LLC
Information
KESSHŌ Craft Chocolate is an Austin-based bean-to-bar maker founded by Liang Wang and Mark Huetsch to fuse single-origin cacao with evocative Asian flavors. Our Japanese name, meaning "crystal," salutes both chocolate's shimmering micro-structure and the rewards of painstaking craft. Every stage—from selecting organically farmed beans through transparent partners such as Kokoa Kamili and Uncommon Cacao to roasting, conching, and molding in our Texas workshop—is guided by care, sustainability, and respect for growers.
Liang, a Beijing native trained in Tokyo patisseries, and Mark, a Midwesterner who studied computer science and Chinese language at Stanford, first teamed up in 2009 to open Pantry's Best bakery in Beijing. Ten years of re-imagining Western desserts with matcha, yuzu, oolong, and black sesame ignited their obsession with fine chocolate. In 2018 they began crafting bars from scratch, swiftly earning International Chocolate Awards and Academy of Chocolate medals for bars, bonbons, and silky nama truffles.
After the pandemic the duo relocated to Austin, drawn by its experimental food scene and supportive maker community. From this home they host tasting classes, partner with coffee roasters and breweries, and publish the cost breakdown of every bar, believing informed indulgence tastes better. Their mission now stretches beyond chocolate: they also churn artisan gelato that reimagines Western classics through the same Asian prism, relying on grass-fed dairy from central Texas ranches. Flavors such as boba tea, black sesame butter cup, ceremonial matcha, and lychee-rose echo the profiles of their award-winning bars.
Today KESSHŌ channels its experience into limited-batch treats that tell stories. Each bar pairs a single-origin cacao—Tanzanian, Guatemalan, or beyond—with an Asian accent like Japanese yuzu or Sichuan pepper, while every gelato scoop honors the terroir of both bean and pasture. Hand-painted packaging blends watercolor washes with brush strokes inspired by classical Chinese *shanshui*, inviting you to travel through landscapes of taste. We believe craft sweets are bridges: uplifting farmers through transparent premiums, honoring Asian culinary heritage, and sharing joy bite by bite or spoonful by spoonful.
Liang, a Beijing native trained in Tokyo patisseries, and Mark, a Midwesterner who studied computer science and Chinese language at Stanford, first teamed up in 2009 to open Pantry's Best bakery in Beijing. Ten years of re-imagining Western desserts with matcha, yuzu, oolong, and black sesame ignited their obsession with fine chocolate. In 2018 they began crafting bars from scratch, swiftly earning International Chocolate Awards and Academy of Chocolate medals for bars, bonbons, and silky nama truffles.
After the pandemic the duo relocated to Austin, drawn by its experimental food scene and supportive maker community. From this home they host tasting classes, partner with coffee roasters and breweries, and publish the cost breakdown of every bar, believing informed indulgence tastes better. Their mission now stretches beyond chocolate: they also churn artisan gelato that reimagines Western classics through the same Asian prism, relying on grass-fed dairy from central Texas ranches. Flavors such as boba tea, black sesame butter cup, ceremonial matcha, and lychee-rose echo the profiles of their award-winning bars.
Today KESSHŌ channels its experience into limited-batch treats that tell stories. Each bar pairs a single-origin cacao—Tanzanian, Guatemalan, or beyond—with an Asian accent like Japanese yuzu or Sichuan pepper, while every gelato scoop honors the terroir of both bean and pasture. Hand-painted packaging blends watercolor washes with brush strokes inspired by classical Chinese *shanshui*, inviting you to travel through landscapes of taste. We believe craft sweets are bridges: uplifting farmers through transparent premiums, honoring Asian culinary heritage, and sharing joy bite by bite or spoonful by spoonful.
Hall
Level 3
First Time Exhibitors
Yes
Country
United States
US State/Canadian Providence
Texas
Beacon Discovery
Learn about this brand on Beacon Discovery
