Photography: Rodrigo Buendia, AFP/Getty Images.
Sarah Barrell wrote it.
Ecuador is located in the cocoa gold mine. At the peak of19th century, it was the largest cocoa exporter in the world. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, the cocoa industry in Ecuador suffered from plant diseases and changes in the global market, and lost the title of the first in the world. In recent years, with the help of local farmers and enterprises focusing on sustainable development, this chocolate kingdom began to revive, and a large number of gourmet tourists came here (before the travel restrictions). Today, Ecuador is famous for its single origin chocolate. This kind of production is time-consuming and laborious, and is mainly completed by individual growers working on small-scale farms. During the epidemic, the situation of these small farmers became more and more fragile. In order to ensure that the cocoa supply chain is not interrupted, the Ecuadorian government and private enterprises have lent a helping hand to help cocoa exports and provide financial support to farmers. "Single origin chocolate has made Ecuador famous internationally," said Santiago peralta, co-founder of Pacari Organic Chocolate Company, which was originally established to protect the native Arriba Nacional cocoa varieties in Ecuador. Peralta said: "It will be easier to buy cocoa from Ecuador's largest producer, but it is the local smaller growers who really contribute to the world cocoa gene pool." "The purpose of our company is to protect and understand cocoa varieties. In the next 20 years, we will explore their flavors in depth. " Small-scale, big-smelling In Santa Rita, a small community in the northwest of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador, a pungent and vibrant cocoa tree grows densely on the lush hillside, which is the source of chocolate. If you have skills, it will be a place full of potential. More and more Ecuadorians have seized this opportunity. In recent years, on Santa Rita's farm, the way of cocoa production has changed greatly.
On a cocoa farm in Ecuador, cocoa beans are about to be harvested.
Photography: Mark-Oliver Schultz, LAIF/REDUX
"15 years ago, people thought that high-quality cocoa had disappeared in Ecuador," Peralta said. "At that time, Ecuador adopted a single planting model, and farmers planted it in large quantities for large-scale export, with low returns. However, as you can see, this is precisely the original form of local crop biodiversity. "
At Santa Rita Community Headquarters, the village chief Bolí var alvarado showed off a kind of "super leaf" Guayusha rich in caffeine. This plant is brewed in a way similar to tea and can provide energy for people in the Amazon region of Ecuador. Some chocolate bars of Pacari Chocolate Company also rely on it to add flavor. Alvarado leads tourists to visit the local gardening area, where they can hike through the rolling forests for a short time, taste cocoa products at will, and learn about Amazon life and local cocoa.
"When we started to run the farm in 2002, my wife Carla and I knew nothing about agriculture," peralta said. "In order to make cocoa beans ferment and grind better, we study with farmers and design equipment together. This makes us really understand how the output affects the taste of cocoa. Since then, the quality of our cocoa has greatly improved. " In Ecuador, Pacari is the first company to produce single-origin organic chocolate, and the whole process from cocoa tree to chocolate bar is controlled. The company also has other popular products.
Single-origin chocolate is synonymous with sustainable development and fair trade. However, looking at the global cocoa producing countries, this is far from the case. Chocolate may be traced back to a country, a region or even a farm, but farmers may find themselves working hard to produce products, but the return from it is very low. Even a fair trade agreement can only make farmers earn income and barely make ends meet; Benchmark market interest rates rarely fund investments to improve quality, yield or crop diversity.
Ecuador produces the most precious cocoa varieties in the world. However, some large factory-style enterprise farms often choose a single variety for planting, such as CCN-5 1. As we all know, this variety has high yield but poor taste. Local small-scale growers who have signed direct trade agreements with handmade chocolate manufacturers are the real driving force for the recovery of lost varieties.
A typical example is the resumption of the cultivation of the best product, Arriba Nacional, which is an endangered cocoa variety and is famous for its low yield, but its rich fruity and floral flavor is unforgettable. It is this variety that made Pacari famous (now the company will also produce other cocoa varieties of chocolate). This win-win situation benefits from the cooperation between the company and 4,000 Ecuadorian farmers, including alvarado of Santa Rita.
"We omitted the middleman," Santiago said. "Trading directly with small producers, no one wanted to cooperate with these farmers at that time. They are losers in the large-scale export game, and there is no way to talk about vegetarianism, biodynamics or organic factors. We pay these farmers more than the market price and encourage them to control the quality, which also helps to improve the loyalty of cooperation. "
Tian Mi new era
With the international market's high interest in high-grade local chocolate, cocoa lovers who are keen to explore Ecuador's chocolate manufacturers have also surged.
According to a report of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the number of tourists in Ecuador reached 2.42 million in 20 19, an increase of 5 1% over the previous year's10.6 million, making it the fastest growing country in the world. Although this year's epidemic has greatly reduced these figures, the country is eager to get back on its feet with the help of chocolate fever.
Ecuador's extraordinary biodiversity stems from its epic landforms, from the tropical Amazon basin to the snow-covered Andes to the beaches along the Pacific Ocean. Taking a bus is one of the best ways to explore its different terrain. Wanderbus offers all kinds of free travel. Visitors can rest in a small community in the high-altitude Paramo ecosystem, taste home-cooked potato soup, or stop in the Amazon rainforest to learn about medicinal plants and cocoa production.
Chocolate in Paakkari factory in Quito melts in the mold.
Photography: Rodrigo Buendia, AFP/Getty Images.
Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is a good choice to taste delicious chocolate. Some chocolate manufacturers (including Paakkari) will provide expert-guided tasting sessions in boutique cafes in La Floresta block.
But real gourmets will not hesitate to go to the country of origin. In Santa Rita, visitors can learn about the unique tastes of the world's top chocolates: Andes roses, Cotopaxi volcano blueberries and tropical lemongrass.
"Chocolate tastes great with passion fruit and Sakapa rum; Guayusa and sherry taste the best. " Peralta said, serve a raw chocolate dessert with Cusco salt and cocoa granules and a glass of peat malt whisky, and you will remember the scientific name of cocoa: cocoa, the food of the gods.
(Translator: A love that consumes everything)