Our 2023 Cacao Harvest
"Look to the past, and you will be able to foresee the future" - Marcus Aurelio
A black sky and a rainy wind announce what has been eagerly awaited since December. Leonardo predicted it when he saw that in January, not a drop of water fell over Manabí's countryside. "Let the moon change, and you will see how the sky bursts," he told me. And so it was; it rained on February 1st, generously, intensely, water well received by a thirsty land.
Manabí means "land without water," which was a popular theory. According to historian Libertad Regalado, the name "Manabí" is composed of two syllables in ancestral languages. However, Manabí has important rivers and several dams: La Esperanza and Poza Honda, to name a few.
That morning I was surprised to experience a different harvest from previous years. A dry, cracked road was an undeniable consequence of climate change. However, "La Providencia" farm had abundant Nacional cacao due to the proximity to the Chone River, the irrigation system and the love of Leonardo and his team.
Our 2023 cacao harvest is about to begin
I was thrilled to witness the first harvest of 2023 and experience the feeling that my grandfather, my great-uncle and now, my uncle, felt at the time. We are all descendants of Agustín Andrade, one who contributed to Chone's flourishing era in the early 20th century, along with Juan Polit, founder of La Providencia.
Its revival is imminent as this is heritage cacao land that represents our past and is undoubtedly our future. It's our fifth cacao harvest, and 2023 is a leap of faith. It's bright, abundant and fragrant.
A Nacional cacao pod freshly cut
The rains have finally arrived. The fermentation is taking place beautifully, we're only waiting a few days to dry, so the cacao expresses its authentic flavours, and we'll be ready to craft our limited-edition chocolate.
It's a familiar, nostalgic and even romantic feeling. It's certainly part of our culture to look back at the past to reassure our identity and fulfil our dream: to regenerate these fields that withhold centuries of Nacional cacao harvesting, innovate, elevate and honour the memory of our loved ones.
I trust this will be a collective feeling that draws many smiley faces.
Harvesters at work
Pre-order our limited-edition Cárdenas Chocolate crafted with our 2023 cacao harvest.