Over the past few months I started to collect a backlog of things I did not write about yet?
Maybe my tendency to break large food and wine events into small chunks so you can digest them better is to blame.
Out of the backlog I dug out today is one of my discoveries at the Chocolate Show in New York (November 2008).
Think Appellation (as in wine) and you get Republica Del Cacao Single Origin Chocolate.
The company is a relative newcomer (about 5 years old).
They offer only chocolate made in Ecuador from Ecuadorian 'Arriba' cocoa beans.
The company credits the 'Arriba' name to (I quote) "a XIX century legend that tells us about a Swiss chocolatier that while navigating along Guayas river, perceived a strong cacao scent. He felt so impressed by such special fragrance that decided to ask some workers unloading cacao from their canoes, where does this aroma come from? And they responded “de río arriba” which means from up the river."
Back in November 2008, I tasted 2 of their selections.
Both rich dark chocolate, the first one from Manabi province was fruit forward with a spicy finish while the second from Los Rios had a sweetness to it and some flowery notes.
Enjoy!
More from Chocolate Show 2008: Firecracker? Passion? Choco Pods, Treats for the Consumed to Thrifty