Cacao

The oldest evidence of cacao use – more than 5,000 years old – was found in Ecuador, which is now famous for its aromatic “Arriba” cacao.

Cacao is a small tropical forest tree whose flowers and ribbed fruits grow straight from the trunk. The seeds, surrounded by sweet white pulp, become cocoa beans after fermentation and drying. It grows in a warm, humid climate, best in the shade of taller trees. The Ecuadorian Nacional variety, known as “Arriba”, gives beans with a floral, fruity aroma and is one of the most valuable “fine aroma” varieties. At the Santa Ana-La Florida site in the Amazon, pottery with cacao residues dating back about 5,300 years was found – the oldest known evidence of its use.

Significance in the country

At the turn of the 20th century Ecuador was the world’s largest exporter of cacao, and today it is the largest supplier in the “fine aroma” category, prized by makers of the finest chocolate.

Where it grows

Mainly in the coastal lowland of the Guayas river basin (Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, Esmeraldas, El Oro) and in the Amazonian provinces of Sucumbíos, Orellana, Napo and Zamora-Chinchipe.

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