Bios is one of Ecuador’s more established chocolate brands. Often their chocolate is of average quality and sold at a low price, and my previous tries hadn’t convinced me to cover them here. So I was surprised to learn this new bar won Gold at the Ecuadorian Chocolate Awards in 2023.
When I was a child, anxious thoughts sometimes kept me awake at night. When my mother noticed, she would take me to the kitchen for a glass of milk perfumed with orange blossom water.
La Chocolaterie du Village mentioned in the October 5 post does not only sell Ecuadorian chocolate. Anticipating a trip to Vietnam, my friend brought this small bar back. The design is very pretty; the uneven thickness squares are engraved with tropical flowers.
ChocoCumi’s “Lugares de mi tierra” bars are often excellent from the first square. This one, however, requires time to appreciate and explore its flavors.
Maritime pine originates from the Mediterranean basin and is cultivated for its wood. It may also be found in Chile as an invasive species. Its essence is sometimes used in cough syrups. How Pacari decided to use it in a chocolate is a curiosity.