In the spring of 2006 I traveled with my Spanish-speaking son Jacob to Ecuador to witness and experience the harvesting of the cacao bean.

From the plantation region on the South American country's steamy Pacific Coast where the cacao is harvested, to the port city of Guayaquil where it is made into chocolate and shipped, we documented the journey the chocolate travels before it winds up in your mouth.

Cacao pods that grow from trees on Ecuador's western coast are chopped off and opened up with a machete, and the Arriba beans (whose descendents arrived on the rivers that flow from the mountains, hence the name arriba, or "to arrive") are fermented, dried, and roasted by workers from a local farm cooperative who earn their livelihood through the cacao industry. The Plantation chocolate I use is one of the few brands that is grown, produced, and packaged in its country of origin. The chocolate is Rainforest Alliance certified and all natural, with no vanilla or vegetable fat added, and boasts a floral scent with nutty after-tones.

Cacao Trees serve as refuges for a huge variety of birds and animals that roam Latin America's rainforests. However, economic pressures have caused many farmers to replace native cacao with hybrid strains that are grown in open sun and that require the application of large quantities of pesticides and fertilizers. My dream is to preserve the native environment and to support a sustainable way of life for the Ecuadorian people, and to bring these soulful chocolates to you.

Pod Growing

Cutting Pod

Opening Pod

Beans Fermenting

Beans Drying

Beans Roasting