Milk Chocolate Chips – Arriba Ecuador 39% Cocoa

Flavor

Anyone who picks up Arriba Ecuador milk chocolate is in for a treat. The delicious milkiness is a fantastic complement to the true cocoa. It tastes great melted in hot milk or as part of a dessert.

Origins

To unravel the mystery from our introduction, we must reveal what "De rio arriba" uttered sometime in the 19th century, means. It's 'against the river current', where in the upper reaches of the Guayas cacao trees grew and still grow today. Their fruit is the best in the world.

But the true cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) has been around much longer than the time when this story is said to have taken place. The beans, were used to make drinks and porridge by people as far back as 5,000 years ago. Long before Christopher Columbus landed on the shores of the Americas, cocoa was an important commodity for South and Central Americans. It was used both for consumption and as a currency. It was brought to Europe by the Spanish in the 16th century. And cocoa became an incredibly sought-after delicacy. Interestingly, however, it wasn't until 1847 that the first bar of chocolate saw the light of day in England.

It takes 300-600 cocoa beans to make 1kg of high-quality chocolate. It is possible to find 20-40 beans in each pod, which ripen on cocoa plants virtually all year round. It is therefore easy to imagine the vast quantities of berries that need to be harvested to satisfy demand. Switzerland is said to consume yearly 12kg of chocolate per person.

Millions of farmers are employed in growing cocoa trees and processing their beans. In Ecuador, they are covered by cooperatives that buy cocoa beans from small farmers and sell them on the exchange at appropriate prices and under a single brand. This enables them to help ensure that poor Ecuadorian families have access to social services, health and education.

The cocoa trees must be harvested before this happens. This is physically demanding work. The fruit of the cocoa tree is a large yellow to red pods that must be picked carefully so as not to disturb the spot from which the new flower will sprout. After cutting the pod with a machete, the cocoa beans are removed from its sweet flesh. They are left to ferment for 2-8 days and then dried in the sun. It is not uncommon for workers to use their own feet for the final finishing process: walking on the dry beans spread out on the red-stained soil to rid them of any remnants of the dried pulp, supposedly giving them a sheen and protection from mold.

In factories, the beans are alkalized, roasted, crushed, ground... until they become cocoa mass. From this, cocoa butter and cocoa powder are separated. By mixing them back together again, adding, for example, milk powder and other ingredients, chocolate is made.

Chocolate is not only an unrivalled delicacy, it also contains a range of valuable substances. First and foremost are antioxidants (it has been shown to be the richest of all foods), minerals and vitamins. It is widely known that eating chocolate will help improve your mood, boost your ability to manage stress and strengthen your body.

Arriba Ecuador Milk Chocolate Chips are suitable for vegetarians.

As far as allergens are concerned, people with allergies to milk, cocoa and vanillin should be careful. This product may contain traces of nuts.

Store at 12-20⁰C.

Please note

If you order chocolate during hot weather, they may lose form or partially melt during shipping. This does not affect the quality.

Hot chocolate & Hot cocoa packaging preview

Our quality aluminum packaging lacks any bold graphics, as we’d rather focus on the taste of our products. Thanks to the hermetic seal, this container helps the contents keep their freshness and protect them against humidity, light or foreign odors.