It’s World Cacao Day!

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

― T.S. Eliot

I never doubted it. I knew that it was a cacao jewel; those floral nuances were instilled in my memory since I was a child. I would rediscover that beautiful cacao many years later in the valley of Chone, Manabí, Ecuador, home of my maternal ancestors.

Many expeditions around Ecuador, early mornings, harvests, rains, tastings and deep conversations with cacao producers were worth it to understand their modus vivendi and appreciate even more their profession.

During peak harvest, the heat is unmerciful, the humidity is intense, but farmers are not afraid to select the most beautiful pods to sell at a top price. They know their value and they have treated their cacao with care.

Our purpose has always been crystal clear. Those unique Nacional cacao trees were unpolished diamonds to us. They were essential to put the name of Ecuador on the map of the best cacaos and chocolates in the world. This year we received our eleventh prize from the Academy of Chocolate of London for our “Tierra Hermosa” chocolate collection single-origin Manabí, Ecuador. And we’re beyond grateful to the committed cacao growers.

Only brave farmers and dreamers remain harvesting Nacional cacao because that tradition and the land inherited from their ancestors are too precious to be forgotten.

I think of Leonardo, Don Beto, Ronald, Yadira and many small-scale Ecuadorian cacao producers who do a titanic job to preserve the Nacional cacao variety. By cultivating their cacao plots with love and regenerating vintage plantations, we’re able to keep our heritage cacao alive and leave a legacy for future generations.

Thanks to all Nacional cacao growers and special recognition for your excellent work on World Cacao Day.