Costa Esmeraldas 60%

Chokaico is a specialty chocolate maker based in the United States that focuses on highlighting the unique characteristics of specific Ecuadorian farm lots. Their Costa Esmeraldas 60% bar is a celebration of the renowned Nacional bean variety sourced directly from the Costa Esmeraldas farm in the Esmeraldas region of Ecuador. This producer emphasizes small batch craftsmanship, ensuring that each release, such as batch ESM 60-001, maintains the integrity of the heritage cacao used in the process.

This dark chocolate offers a sophisticated sensory experience defined by its traditional stone ground refining process. The result is a bar with an authentic texture that allows the natural complexity of the Nacional beans to shine. Tasters will find a delicate balance of floral aromas and sweet honey undertones, punctuated by bright notes of red fruits. The recipe is intentionally clean, containing only cacao beans, cane sugar, and cacao butter, without any lecithin, vanillin, or vegetable fats to mask the origin flavor.

Quality begins at the source, where the cacao undergoes a meticulous five to six day fermentation in wooden boxes followed by drying under the Ecuadorian sun. These traditional post-harvest methods are paired with a commitment to ethical sourcing, as evidenced by the bar's Fair Trade certification. The excellence of this process has been recognized by the international chocolate community, earning prestigious awards including a Silver from the Academy of Chocolate and a Bronze from the International Chocolate Awards in 2023.