From bean to chocolate: Ecuador conquers the taste buds. Ecuador is no longer just a producer of cocoabeans, the raw material for chocolate… For the past decade, it has also been a chocolate-producing country, rivalling the best traditional brands to be found in Europe. EcuadorianChocolates – Where To Find The Best Chocolate & CocoaBeans In Ecuador.The high quality ofEcuador’s Arriba CocoaBean made rich men of the early cocoa plantation barons. Ecuadoriancocoa is often referred to as "arriba" cocoa, a name derived from the location of its discovery centuries ago, "up river," from Guayaquil, along the Guayas River in the area of present day Manabi, Los Rios, and Quevedo. Cocoa began being exported from Ecuador by the Spanish in the 1600s. In the beginning the taste was not well loved by Europeans, but the idea of adding sugar to the substance emerged, and chocolate became much more popular. What makes ChocolateofEcuador so special? Fine chocolate has found a top-quality niche in Ecuador’s fertile cacao farms. The small country dominates over half the market for the exceptional Cacao. Ecuadorian cacao tourism is a journey of indulgence, education, and cultural enrichment. From the verdant Cacao Belt to the hands-on chocolate workshops, every step of the way offers a glimpse into the captivating world of cacao cultivation and chocolate crafting. Ecuador 71% from Planète Chocolat’s Origin Collection is an elegant dark chocolate crafted from carefully selected Ecuadoriancocoabeans renowned for their rich, floral profile. Many of the chocolate bars in our taste test use this cacao. A few years ago an archeologist discovered a ceramic pot with remnants of cacao bean in it. The pot dated back to 3300 BC, which would make Ecuador the first place to have harvested and consumed chocolate.