Cocada Esmeraldeña with Costa Esmeraldas 70% Dark Chocolate -Muisne, Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador

**Cocada Esmeraldeña: A Traditional Ecuadorian Treat**

Introducing Cocada Esmeraldeña, a delightful toasted coconut candy generously paired with a Costa Esmeraldas 70% Dark Chocolate bar from the 2023 harvest. The rich fragrances of coconut, caramel, and cinnamon emanating from this soft coconut candy will captivate you at first taste. Tiny peanut morsels will surprise and delight you. As you take a bite of the combination of coconut and luxurious Costa Esmeraldas dark chocolate, a wave of bliss will envelop your senses, allowing you to savor the moment.

**Cacao Provenance**: Muisne, Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador.

**Tasting Notes of Our Dark Chocolate**:
This cacao bean offers a profile of nuance and elegance. The aroma begins with notes of chocolate intertwined with lightly toasted warm cedar. It features a solid chocolate backbone complemented by delicate wood tannins and brown sugars. The flavor profile opens up with hints of fudge brownies and pleasing wood tannins, leading into a clean yet earthy, creamy note with a slight nuttiness. The inherent sweetness from dark brown sugar and the bitterness create a rich mocha flavor, while perfect acidity leaves you with a profound sense of satisfaction.

**Ingredients**: Nacional cacao beans, organic cane sugar, toasted coconut, cinnamon, cacao butter, peanuts.

**About This Cacao**:
The cocoa orchards were established six years ago on a former cattle pasture with steep terrain. By growing cocoa, timber, and other fruit trees, erosion on the farm has been significantly reduced. Esmeraldas has a unique climate, characterized by minimal fluctuations in average temperatures. The region experiences a relatively brief wet season from January to May, while the dry season is predominantly overcast with light drizzling rain.

**Costa Esmeraldas Chocolate** is a family-owned and operated cacao farm spanning 100 hectares. All members of the Salazar family—Fredy, Monica, and siblings Freddy and Indira—actively participate in the business. Freddy oversees the management of both the farm and the post-harvest center.

The management of the cacao orchards provides over 40 full-time jobs for the local community in rural Esmeraldas. 

Fermentation occurs in a five-tiered cascade system using cedar wood boxes, each with a 450 kg capacity. The fermenting mass is turned every 36 hours and again every morning until fermentation is complete, which takes a total of 5½ days.