A Sweet Trip to Ecuador, the Land of Cacao and Modern Craft Chocolate

Join me on the sweetest trip you will ever take: Our Ecuador Chocolate Expedition! On this trip, we will learn about cacao growing and chocolate making from passionate farmers who are committed to preserving Ecuador’s renowned arriba nacional cacao varietal using sustainable agricultural practices, as well as industry experts about the craft of processing some of the world’s best cacao.

While we see Ecuador through a chocolate lens, we will also enjoy the country’s many natural wonders and cultural traditions, including hiking, bird watching and a chocolate tour through Quito. We'll visit Ecuador's cloud forest of Mindo and the jungles of the Amazon in search of cacao and chocolate, and we'll enjoy great food and chocolate in Ecuador's urban metropolis, Quito.

There will be a lot of chocolate to taste along the way, including some of the most expensive chocolate in the world. This is a great adventure for chocolate lovers who want to immerse in the history and farming of cacao while also experiencing Ecuador's unique history.

Ecuador's Cloud Forest in Mindo region

Ecuador is a special place for cacao and chocolate. It is renowned for a varietal of cacao called nacional that offers unique floral notes. While there is very little genetically pure nacional left in Ecuador, we are fortunate on our trip to have a guided chocolate tasting with To'ak Chocolate, who have nine cacao trees that were tested by the USDA and proven to be pure nacional. To'ak makes the most expensive chocolate in the world with this cacao, and it will be a pleasure to taste their chocolate creations. This is one of many unique chocolate experiences I look forward to sharing with you on our chocolate adventure.