To make a long story short, the idea of taking a tour of some of the cacao farms in Ecuador arose from a simple invitation to visit my country. Those who know me know how much I love Ecuador and that I promote it at every opportunity I have. I really don't remember who I made the comment to or where; the only thing I can add is that word of mouth works better than a billboard hahaha
In mid-April, I was contacted by Lauren and Tamara (chocolate makers and creators of their own brands: WKND & BATCH) who were very curious about the tour I was offering. Obviously, I didn't have the structure ready because it wasn't something formal that I was going to do. However, I told them that we could plan the tour together based on what they wanted to know about cacao in Ecuador.
By the beginning of May, Lauren and Tamara arrived in Quito and our adventure began. Our first stop was the farm where Villakuyaya harvests its cacao—Esmeraldas. The experience they had both on the farms and in the collection center was enriching since it was the first time they had the cacao pods in their hands and not just the cacao beans. They learned about floral and fruit aromas, several varieties of cacao (forastero, criollo, trinitario), as well as tests and fermentation methods.
Our second stop was in Guayaquil where we had a kind welcome from Jorge Marun from Hacienda San Jose. The girls enjoyed the juice from the cocoa pulp that refreshed us from the humid climate of the coast, and we also learned many of the processes that Jorge was doing at that time to its CCN-51 cacao to get deeper flavor notes. We then toured the farm and ended with a tasting of all our chocolate bars.
The following day, we headed to Flavio Alfaro in Manabi, where the farms of our friend Santiado Arroyo de Kakawen are located. The farmers took us along all the paths where the fino aroma cacao was found. The girls were amazed at the colors and aromas of this cacao—fruity and citrus notes were the ones that prevailed here.
We also visited in Guayaquil the new facilities of the Vicente Norero Latiali factory, which has state-of-the-art technology for manufacturing chocolate. After days away from home, we returned to Quito and our last activity was with the chocolatier chef Idaly Farban who gave us a bonbonerie class. Indeed, Lauren and Tamara had a unique and fun experience on this trip.
You may wonder why I am writing this story after 6 years. There are many reasons for this, but one of the main ones is that Villakuyaya has allowed me to meet and exchange experiences with other people, especially with very valuable, very talented and very creative women who are fighters in their respective field.
I dedicate this blog to my two friends Tamara and Lauren. Thank you for crossing into my life and teaching me a lot. Sometimes distances separate us but memories unite us... hugs
