Ecuador 75%

Ecuador Camino Verde

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Unit Single Bar

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Made with cacao that is carefully fermented and dried by Vicente Norero of Camino Verde in Ecuador. Vicente's unique fermentation techniques, along with his careful sourcing of Nacional cacao from a multitude of growers, give this chocolate its distinguishable, rich, chocolatey flavor.

Organic Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter
May contain traces of Peanuts, Tree Nuts & Wheat

The Legacy of Nacional

Ecuador is renowned for Nacional cacao, a variety prized for its distinctive fragrance and floral character. The cacao used for our Ecuador bar is Neo Nacional, a modern expression of this Ecuadorian genetic heritage.

Nacional cacao has played an important role in Ecuador's chocolate history, even as production has faced major challenges, including the devastating impact of witches' broom disease. Today, Ecuador's diverse cacao-growing regions and renewed attention to quality are helping preserve and evolve this remarkable cacao tradition.

In our Ecuador bar, the character of Nacional comes through in its aromatic floral notes, balanced by fudge, almond, honey, and earthy chocolate flavors.

The Science of Flavor

Our Ecuador bar begins with Neo-Nacional cacao from Camino Verde, a privately owned fermentary in Durán, just outside Guayaquil. Founded by cacao farmer and microbiologist Vicente Norero, Camino Verde takes an unusually scientific approach to fermentation, using carefully selected microorganisms, enzymes, and inoculants to develop specific flavor characteristics in the bean.

We've worked with cacao from Camino Verde for over a decade because Vicente understands that exceptional chocolate begins long before the beans reach a chocolate maker. His background in microbiology, combined with years of experience farming and managing cacao plantations, has allowed him to explore how fermentation can bring out the distinctive qualities of Ecuadorian cacao.

The result is a chocolate with a rich, fudgy character layered with almond, honey, earthy cacao, and delicate floral notes.

A Community Beyond the Farm

Camino Verde's work extends far beyond fermentation. Vicente works with more than 100 small-scale farms from across Ecuador, helping farmers improve productivity, farming practices, and bean quality while creating opportunities to earn better prices for their cacao.

His philosophy is rooted in a simple idea: supporting farmers creates better cacao. By building long-term relationships based on trust, quality, and respect, the Camino Verde program creates a stronger connection between the people who grow cacao and the chocolate made from it.

For us, the Ecuador bar is a celebration of Ecuadorian cacao and the craft of fermentation—bringing together distinctive genetics, careful process, and the people behind every harvest.

TASTING NOTES

A beautifully complex single-origin dark chocolate with notes of fudge, almond, honey, and delicate florals. Crafted from Neo-Nacional cacao fermented by Camino Verde, a pioneering centralized fermentary just outside Guayaquil.

Earthy
Earthy
Fudge
Fudge
Honey
Honey
Floral
Floral

ORIGIN SNAPSHOT

FARM / COOPERATIVE
Camino Verde, Durán, Ecuador
CACAO GENETICS
Neo-Nacional
SOURCING PARTNER
Meridian Cacao
POST-HARVEST
Bag fermented in a humidity-controlled room using inoculation with selected microorganisms; sun-dried on raised drying tables
BAR AWARDS
Academy of Chocolate (Bronze 2018)
PAIRINGS

PAIRINGS

ENJOY WITH
Espresso, jasmine tea, roasted almonds, sharp cheddar, or a glass of Moscato.
PERFECT FOR

PERFECT FOR

Your midday coffee break, after dinner with a dessert wine, or savoring on its own.