Vicente Norero, the owner and general manager of Camino Verde Cacao, is one of the most innovative cacao producers we know. His products are always improving through his continual experimentation. We love the flavor of his beans so much that not only do we make two chocolate bars, an 85% and 100% (not to mention a limited edition 76% bar in 2017), we also use the chocolate as the base in nearly all of our drinks and many of our pastries at our shops in the US.

Vicente notes that the beans from the northern part of Esmeraldas are fruity and nutty but the ones from further south are still nutty but with a floral touch. Camino Verde continues to work with the groups in Esmeraldas and Los Ríos on improving the fermentation and processing so that they might be able to bring in the best possible price for their products.

We have been working with Vicente for many years and are excited to witness the growth of his work in Los Ríos and Esmeraldas. We are deeply impressed by his dedication to the pursuit of flavor as well as the pursuit of a better income for farmers. Dandelion Chocolate has purchased more beans from Camino Verde than any other single producer and we couldn’t be happier with that decision.