BACKGROUND

The genus Theobroma - "Manjar de los dioses" as the cocoa bean was known, originated millions of years ago in South America, east of the Andes.

Theobroma has been divided into twenty-two species of which T. cocoa is the most known. It is about the Mayans who have provided tangible evidence of cocoa as a domestic crop.

Archaeological evidence in Costa Rica indicates that cocoa is introduced by Mayan merchants as early as 400 BC. The Aztec culture, dominant in Mesoamerica from the 14th century until the conquest, put a lot of emphasis on cacao sanctity.

The first foreigner to drink chocolate was Christopher Columbus, who arrived in Nicaragua in 1502 in search of a sea route that would lead him to spices from the East.

  • However, it was Hernán Cortés, leader of an expedition in 1519 to the Aztec empire, who returned to Spain in 1528 having the Aztec recipe (chocolate drink) with him.

  • The drink was received without enthusiasm initially and it was not until a little sugar was added that it became a popular drink in Spanish courts.

  • The cacao tree makes optimal use of all available light and has traditionally been cultivated under shade. Its natural environment is the Amazon rainforest whose trees provide a natural shade. Shading is essential in the first years of a cacao tree.




CACAO qualities

The quality of cocoa for chocolate depends on how fine the cocoa is. That depends on the aroma and flavor of your grains.
Cacao in grain CCN51
Cacao in grain ASE
Cacao in grain ASS
Cacao in grain ASSS

THE COCOA ROUTE IN GUAYAS

"The cocoa route "

In Guayas, the province whose capital is the first city of Ecuador: Guayaquil, different routes have been opend related to agricultural products, such as rice or sugar, and one of them is the "Route Of Cocoa".

The route relates to the world of cocoa, in fact most of the tourist attractions of the cocoa route are not
  • The main ones are The Churute Mangroves.
  • The Shuar Community - an indigenous community - and its thermal baths
  • The Balao Chico Hot Springs
  • El Samán Stop - where there is a tasting of cocoa and dairy products
  • And by the JD Paraiso Natural Recreational Resort, where there are swimming pools, several sports courts and an artificial lake.
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