Ishpingo, or Mespilodaphne quixos, is a species of tree endemic to the Ecuadorian Amazon. Its bark, known as “Ecuadorian cinnamon”, has a taste similar to that of common cinnamon - produced from the bark of a tree in the same Lauraceae family (to which laurel also belongs). It’s a spice used in Ecuadorian cuisine, and Anquria tries it here with their chocolate.
Hacienda San José comes from a line of cocoa-producing farms founded in the 1930s, during Ecuador’s cocoa boom. Renowned for its high quality cocoa beans (the best in the world! according to the text on the cover), it wasn’t until 90 years later that the owner family decided to produce its own chocolate.
By now, you’re familiar with macambo — a cousin of cocoa that can be made into a chocolate equivalent (not as good), but can also be added in pieces to a bar, much like a nut. Here, Anquria — a new brand for me — caramelizes it beforehand, adding a touch of praline that I won’t complain about.
Again, a chocolate from Yasuni - here, a project run by women of the Waorani community, one of the many peoples of this region of the Amazon.
Belly’s chocolate is always special - as much for its granular texture as for its unique, light taste, somewhere between citrus, flower and sweet butter. Here, we add a few notes of coffee. It’s present, but subtle: it adds color to the chocolate without taking control of it. For me, who’s not a fan of coffee, it’s a success: I appreciate the notes without being overwhelmed, just as I can appreciate them in a tiramisu. An interesting variation.