ARRIBA NACIONAL
These ancestral Nacional beans possess an organoleptic finesse worthy of the finest Criollos.
Today, only 5% of Nacional beans remain in Ecuador, and Mono Bravo is one of the few plantations where this variety is grown exclusively, in a woodland environment rich in biodiversity.
Low-temperature roasting preserves the delicate, floral character of these beans.
MONO BRAVO - ESMERALDAS
On 280 hectares of tropical forests and mountains rich in biodiversity in the Mache Chinda region are farms growing traditional Nacional cocoa of ancestral variety.
These Ecuadorian farmers are proud of their Arriba Nacional, preferring to ferment their beans in bags covered with banana leaves to reduce acidity without losing the richness of texture and flavor.
THE GOLDEN AGE
Cocoa grew naturally in the region in the mid-17th century, when 45,000 trees were under cultivation, rising to 145,000 by 1780.
The first cocoa boom (1763-1840) was triggered by the liberation from tariffs that the Spanish crown had maintained during colonial times in its American possessions.
The real cocoa boom, the second in history, occurred after 1880, with the expansion of large cocoa plantations in Ecuador. At the beginning of the first decade of the last century, two plagues hit Ecuador, decimating production from 170,000 tonnes a year to 10,000 tonnes.
It was the twilight of the golden age of "Grand Cacao". The haciendas eliminated cocoa cultivation and turned their efforts to banana production. It took Ecuador around 70 years to once again produce over 170,000 tonnes a year. Arriba" cocoa continues to be recognized the world over, but for how long before it disappears altogether?
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