Ghana-branded chocolates are produced with ingredients including cacao beans from Ghana in West Africa and milk, bringing forth a thick and soft taste. Since the brand was launched in 1975, it has led the local chocolate market.
Chocolate first appeared in Korea in the late Joseon period (1392 – 1910).
There is a story that Westerners who visited Korea gave chocolate as a present to members of the royal household. Then, during the Korean War (1950 – 1953), U.S. soldiers brought chocolate to Korea as part of their rations and a small number of people started to become aware of the chocolate.
In March 1975, Lotte Confectionary introduced Ghana Chocolate Milk and Ghana Chocolate Cacao. The chocolate bars were, of course, named after the origin of their main ingredient: Ghana.
Ghana chocolates stirred quite a sensation when they were released. The product boasted great taste, flavour and quality that could match any imports and impressed local consumers. From the beginning, the company adopted a “micro-grinding technique” by which all the ingredients were ground down to tiny particles.
The chocolate tasted soft and tender when it first touched the tip of one´s tongue. A lot of cacao butter was used to strengthen the genuine chocolaty soft taste. Cacao butter, a type of fat from the bean, melts at a slightly lower temperature than that of the human body. So, the chocolate melts instantly when put in the mouth.
Ghana brand chocolate bars are famous for their ads and commercials that strongly appealed to consumers. Its TV commercials and ads in the 1980s featured the popular line, “Even solitude feels sweet when with Ghana,” which captured the hearts of many emotional teenagers. The TV commercials enjoyed huge popularity as if they were romantic films.
In September 1996, Lotte adopted a “Better Taste & Color Treatment” (BCT) methodology which was then being used in Europe, and further improved the quality of its Ghana chocolate bars.
Lotte now offers Ghana Milk, Ghana Mild and Ghana Premium, which is dark chocolate with strong cacao flavours. In addition, the company also sells Ghana Black, which has a darker, thicker taste, again with a strong cacao flavour, and Mini Ghana Mild in single bite-sized packages.