7 Latin American Craft Chocolate Brands You Need in Your Life

Ongoing economic troubles mean that getting El Rey chocolates out of Venezuela is more difficult than ever, but it’s worth the effort. These high-quality bars are made from premium-grade beans by a family-run business that is one of the oldest chocolate makers in Venezuela.

http://instagram.com/p/Bd0en04nyxh/?taken-by=chocolateselrey

This company, founded by Santiago Peralta, produces fine organic chocolate in Ecuador. It has regularly won prizes for its quality in a country that has been known for its cacao since colonial times.

Regularly recognized by international competitions, AMAZ is one of the best brands in Peru. Bars are made from beans grown in the Amazon, Cuzco, Piura and Tumbes regions, each with its own distinct flavour and history.

This brand was set up by CEO Sam Gilha, a Peruvian-American with a background in textiles. The packaging for the brand is based on traditional Peruvian textiles, and it immediately grabs the attention. Even more amazing is the taste of the product itself, with the Piura select bar winning plaudits from experts.

The team behind Cacao Hunters has taken on the task of preserving regional varietals of cacao for the craft chocolate market, rather than letting these high-quality beans be used for mass market products that sell for low prices. By producing single origin bars, the company can pay farmers a fairer price for their beans and discourage them from growing other crops.

For years Guatemalan chocolate suffered from a bad reputation, with the majority of high-quality beans sold for export. Danta took it upon themselves to change that, keeping the entire process from farming to chocolate-making inside Guatemala and paying better prices to producers.

George Soriano, co-founder of Sibú, started the company with the dream of making Costa Rican chocolate great again. For years the country had exported its beans, but now Sibú is making great quality products within the national borders.