Dionisia Chocolate

111 Main Street, Box 13, Semans, SK
306-746-3262
info@dionisiachocolate.com

From the tiny community of Semans, Saskatchewan, Dionisia Chocolate is proving that world-class craft chocolate can emerge from unexpected places. Founded by Laura Sandoval and her husband, James Rosso, the family business combines Canadian bean-to-bar craftsmanship with traditions rooted in Laura’s childhood in Colombia.

The company’s name honours Laura’s grandmother, Dionisia, who roasted, ground and prepared chocolate for her family. Those memories became especially important after Laura moved to Canada in 2019. Missing the chocolate she knew in Colombia eventually inspired her to begin making it herself. By 2021, Laura and James were developing what would become Dionisia Chocolate.

From Colombia to the Saskatchewan Prairies

Dionisia Chocolate represents more than a change in geography. Its story connects the cacao-growing regions of Latin America with a small Prairie community thousands of kilometres away.

After relocating to rural Saskatchewan, Laura and James began building the company on a remarkably small scale. Even as Dionisia gained international attention, its chocolate was being produced in a six-by-four-foot pantry in the family’s home.

Unlike businesses that purchase finished couverture and transform it into confections, Dionisia works from bean to bar. The company roasts and processes cacao itself, allowing the makers greater control over flavour while maintaining a direct connection to the agricultural origins of the chocolate.

Building Stronger Connections with Colombian Cacao

Colombia remains central to Dionisia’s identity.

The company sources cacao through established suppliers but has also begun importing directly from small Colombian farms, including producers in the Yariguíes Mountains of Santander and Arauquita. Current products also showcase cacao from areas such as Meta and Tolima.

That approach allows individual origins to remain recognizable in the finished chocolate. Dionisia’s range includes high-percentage dark bars, dark milk chocolate and flavoured creations, alongside traditional Colombian-style hot chocolate, bonbons and mendiants.

The philosophy is deliberately straightforward. Rather than relying on artificial flavours, the company emphasizes simple ingredients and allows the natural characteristics of cacao to play the leading role.

Saskatchewan Chocolate Earns International Recognition

In 2025, Dionisia reached an important milestone when two of its chocolates earned bronze medals at the International Chocolate Awards Americas – USA & Canada Bean-to-Bar and Craft Chocolatier Competition.

Its 80% Yariguíes – Santander Colombia bar earned bronze in the micro-batch plain/origin dark chocolate category, scoring 87.2. The bar highlights cacao from Colombia’s Santander region while demonstrating how a high-percentage dark chocolate can retain balance and complexity.

A second bronze went to the 70% Rum & Star Anise – Santander Colombia bar. Inspired by Colombian rum and aguardiente traditions, the chocolate combines Santander cacao with flavours that connect the finished bar to Laura’s cultural heritage.

For a young maker working from rural Saskatchewan, those medals represented significant international validation.

Preserving Family Memories Through Chocolate

Dionisia’s Colombian influence extends beyond cacao origin.

Traditional hot chocolate remains especially meaningful because it connects Laura directly with memories of her grandmother. Other creations draw upon ingredients familiar in Colombian food culture, including panela, uchuva or goldenberry, tropical fruits and spices.

That combination gives Dionisia a distinctive position within Canada’s growing craft chocolate community. It is simultaneously a Saskatchewan company, a Colombian family story and a bean-to-bar chocolate maker.

From a home pantry on the Prairies to recognition at an international chocolate competition, Dionisia demonstrates how Canadian craft chocolate continues to become more regional, multicultural and connected to the people who grow cacao.

Visit: Dionisia Chocolate