Ecuador’s unique climate and soil create the perfect environment for growing cacao beans that are coveted for their surprising aromatic qualities. Ecuador’s Nacional cacao bean variety is the stuff that award-winning chocolate bars all over the world are made of. In the country known for being one of the world’s top producers of fine cacao, chocolate has always been especially delicious and relatively easy to find. Chocolate in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, is making an interesting appearance in its effervescent gastronomical scene.
What is the best chocolate in Ecuador?
You can take a random stroll through the city and find the best chocolate you’ve ever tasted in one of the many chocolate shops in Quito, but Pacari and Republica del Cacao are the most popular, high-quality fine chocolate shops. Even though coffee, food, and drinks are also served, fine chocolate is the star of these shops. You can buy and taste fine chocolates (and chocolate-based desserts) infused with Ecuadorian herbs, flowers, fruits, and spices.
Where to buy Pacari chocolate in Quito?
Pacari has several locations in Quito and Cumbayá so you can visit whichever is near you.
Where to buy Republica del Cacao chocolate in Quito?
Republica del Cacao has several locations. We recommend the Floresta and República del Salvador Locations.
Why is Ecuadorian chocolate so expensive?
Ecuadorian chocolate is one of the finest in the world. Fine chocolate is different from commercial chocolate because of how it’s made, using high-quality cocoa beans, often single-origin, with a higher percentage of cocoa and minimal additives (like sugar, milk, etc.), and under meticulous production processes, making the flavor profiles and aromas much richer and complex than regular chocolate. Another key reason for Ecuadorian chocolate’s higher price tag is ethical sourcing and sustainability. Ecuadorian chocolate companies are making a big effort to preserve our cacao bean varieties, pay fair wages to their workers, and adopt more sustainable and environmentally friendly production methods. One of the top examples of cocoa conservation in Ecuador is Toak, known as the world’s most expensive chocolate, because they use a very rare variety of heirloom cocoa beans (once thought extinct) and their chocolate’s aging, roasting, and tempering process is equivalent to that of fine wine or whiskey.
Is Ecuador known for cocoa?
Ecuadorian cocoa or cacao is internationally recognized because of its high-quality. It’s a quintessential part of Ecuadorian idiosyncrasy, and fine cacao has been revolutionizing the way Ecuadorians eat for a while now. Gastronomers all over the country have been experimenting with this magical ingredient, playing with its components to create new and exciting recipes. This is how our Golden Fruit tour was born. We partnered up with one of Quito’s most prominent chefs, Juanse Pérez of Quitu Identidad Culinaria (featured in World’s 50 Best Discovery in 2023), to create a one of a kind fine cacao experience. This is a multiple-course tasting menu where fine cacao and its components prove their versatility in high cuisine. Since Quitu’s philosophy is involving native ingredients, responsible sourcing, fair trade and seasonal eating, the menu is adapting constantly, making each tasting unique.
Mucilage, the sticky, gelatinous pulp surrounding the cacao bean is used as the base of a cocktail or as a fermented component in a dish. Cacao nibs (small pieces of crushed cacao beans with a bitter, chocolate flavor) are an edible garnish for dessert, or made into a fine dust that covers a beautiful entreé. Cocoa butter and cocoa powder are served as intermission, while the chef explains Ecuador’s history as a cacao producer, and lays out the differences between cacao and chocolate and how each component plays a role in the menu. Dark chocolate coins are served in between dishes, paired with wine to enhance flavor.
This tour is a journey through Ecuador’s history as one of the greatest cacao producers in the world. Only a few decades ago, our country didn’t have the adequate resources to do justice to our beans. But now, things are wildly different. After years of growth, we not only have the internationally recognized raw material, we also have the means to make incredible products out of it, and a very promising scene of young Ecuadorian chefs that are making mind-blowing food with it. If you’re in Quito, the capital of fine chocolate, you cannot miss this once in a lifetime experience.
