2022 Academy of Chocolate Awards GOLD Winner
2021 Academy of Chocolate Awards GOLD Winner
2020 Academy of Chocolate Awards GOLD Winner
2019 Academy of Chocolate Awards Silver Winner
2018 Academy of Chocolate Awards Silver Winner
2017 Academy of Chocolate Awards Silver
2017 Good Food Awards Winner
This cacao is grown in the province of Esmeraldas, an area not typically known as a cacao producing region of Ecuador. Costa Esmeraldas is a family business, entirely owned and managed by the Salazar family. This single estate farm was established on reclaimed cattle pasture and is currently planted with approximately 100 hectares of 5-year old Nacional hybrid cacao (clones EET-95, EET-96, and EET-103). The farm is currently expanding, and will include 10 hectares of a traditional Esmeraldas cacao varietal that was cultivated in isolation for over 100 years from the typical Nacional cacao grown in the rest of the country. The original farms planted with this cacao are currently being cut down and replaced with oil palm and CCN-51. The farm is located less than 10 miles inland of the coastal town of Muisne. A brand new, high efficiency fermentation and drying facility was designed by Cacao Services and constructed in a dry microclimate about 15 miles from the farm near the town of Tonchigue. The facility design allows production of unusually consistent and clean cacao with an efficient movement of material that reduces worker injury and fatigue.
The color is strikingly dark for a 70% dark chocolate, but belies its mild flavor. Enjoy.
Tasting notes: nutty and floral
Ingredients: Cacao, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic cocoa butter
Kosher Information: Parve
Academy of Chocolate judging panel notes (2022): "Esmeraldas is a misunderstood area. There is crazy butter and nuts on this with insane floral notes. If you aren't ready for it, it knocks your socks off. Like someone buttered some flowers and you ate them. Honestly crazy awesome to get this from this origin - exceptionally well done!"
