Ecuador

Where is Ecuador?

In the heart of tropical America, right in the middle of the world and crossed by the Equator, you find Ecuador, bordered by Colombia and Peru, the Pacific Ocean bathes its western coastal zone and 200 miles away from the main land. The Galapagos Islands harmonizes this wonderful territory of hardly 256.370 square kilometers, whose present population does not exceed 13million inhabitants.
Its surprising geography has clearly defined four regions: the Pacific Coast, the Highlands or Sierra, the Amazon and the Galápagos, each one of them distinguished by their own diversity and multicultural identity as well as with a variety of climates that has made of Ecuador a unique place in the world.
 ¿Why Ecuadorian cacao is so unique?
Barely 5% of cacao produced in theworld is considered Fine Aroma, and Ecuador holds nearly 63% of that fine aroma flavored cacao worldwide production.
Well-known international chocolatiers look for this particular floral, fruity toasted aroma to distinguish a top dark premium chocolate.
 
¿What is so special about Ecuador?
Ecuador’s coastal region has approximate 640 kilometers; and inland, especially at Manabí, Esmeraldas andGuayas provinces, the land is made up of fertile plains with rather low heights and long basins fed by the rivers beginning in the Andes flowing to the Pacific Ocean.
The Andes is an important mountain range that crosses the country from north to south showing spectacular snow peaks and volcanoes as high as Chimborazo and Cotopaxi mountains and others whose height goes from 5,000 to 6,300 metersover sea level.
A warm and humid weather characterizes the Ecuadorian Amazon region which starts in the eastern mountain range of the Andes and extends up to the Amazon River basin. Finally, around 1,000 kilometers from the Ecuadorian mainland, there is The Galápagos Islands.
Different climate conditions mainly determined by the influence of Los Andes mountain range and the Pacific Ocean havehelped define a variety of microclimates in every region, which allowed the Ecuadorian tropical rainforest to own one of the richest biodiversity in the whole world.
Indeed, these incredible array of agricultural and climate conditions allows the cultivation of the famous and unique fine aroma cacao unequalled in floral and fruity taste, in 19 Ecuadorian provinces, including the Galápagos Islands.Vinces Collection Center
REPUBLICA DEL CACAOº was born four years ago with the aim of rescuing the unique Cacao Arriba. In order to achieve this goal, we ventured into extensive investigation projects that have allowed us to deeply understand and know the harvest and post-harvest processes yet constantly improving them. Our intention is to firmly enhance the different flavors and aromas soappreciated of our Cacao Arriba.
We become aware of the need to implement an assistance program directed to cacao farmers in order to improve their cultivating and harvesting techniques as well as to keep a continuous search of the best trees in the country to reproduce their genetic material and secure its unique quality and scent features.
|   |
Vinces Collection Center - Influence AreaFarmers: >2000Cacao Acres : >10000Radius: 20  | Route Example Finca "La Carmela" Farmers: 110  Cacao Acres: 650 Cacao Trees: 216.150   |
 
Vinces Collection Center
This experience lead us to create our own collection center where we thoroughly control and guarantee Cacao Arriba sustainability, naturalness and above all, the quality of its harvest and post-harvest practices.
We manage and secure theentire process chain; from collecting the Cacao at mucilage stage, harvesting from our previously selected plantations, through specially GPS designed routes, to fermentation and sun drying of the product; thus, today we can ensure our product’s 100% traceability and quality, which allow us to:
* Guarantee Cacao Arriba purity and diversity of flavors.
* Gradually improve the efficiency...