Pacari Chocolate

Founded: 2002
Home: Quito, Ecuador
Founders: Santiago Peralta & Carla Barbotó
Chocolate Model: Tree to bar
Known for: Ecuadorian cacao, organic chocolate and origin-focused bars
Visit Pacari Chocolate

Celebrating Ecuadorian Cacao at Its Source

Founded in Ecuador in 2002 by Santiago Peralta and Carla Barbotó, Pacari Chocolate was created around a simple idea: exceptional Ecuadorian cacao should be transformed into finished chocolate in the country where it grows.

The name Pacari means “nature” in Kichwa, reflecting the company’s connection to Ecuador’s land, cacao and farming communities. Rather than exporting cacao for chocolate production elsewhere, Pacari built its identity around producing chocolate locally and showcasing the distinctive flavours of Ecuadorian cacao.

That approach has helped make Pacari one of the most internationally recognised names associated with Latin American craft chocolate.

From Tree to Bar in Ecuador

Pacari describes its production model as tree to bar. The company works directly with cacao producers and transforms the beans into finished chocolate in Ecuador.

Central to its chocolate is Nacional cacao, a variety closely associated with Ecuador and prized for its aromatic qualities. By working with cacao from different parts of the country, Pacari can also explore how growing region, climate and agricultural practices influence flavour.

The resulting range includes dark chocolate bars with different cacao percentages as well as chocolates highlighting individual Ecuadorian origins.

For consumers increasingly interested in where chocolate comes from, Pacari offers a particularly direct connection between cacao origin and finished bar.

Chocolate Rooted in Biodiversity

Organic agriculture has been a defining part of Pacari’s identity. Its approach encourages cacao production within diverse agricultural environments rather than treating cacao simply as an industrial commodity.

That philosophy is particularly relevant in Ecuador, one of the world’s important centres of cacao diversity.

Pacari has also incorporated biodynamic agricultural principles into its broader approach to farming. These methods consider soil health, biodiversity and the wider agricultural ecosystem as interconnected parts of cacao production.

The result is a chocolate philosophy in which flavour and agriculture are closely connected. Healthy farms and carefully cultivated cacao are treated as essential ingredients in producing distinctive chocolate.

Working Directly with Cacao Producers

Pacari’s relationship with cacao-growing communities is another important part of its model.

Rather than relying exclusively on conventional commodity supply chains, the company has developed direct relationships with Ecuadorian producers. This gives Pacari greater knowledge of where its cacao comes from while creating closer communication between growers and chocolate makers.

The approach also allows the company to work with farmers on cacao quality, cultivation and post-harvest practices such as fermentation and drying — stages that can dramatically influence the flavour of the finished chocolate.

For Pacari, the farmer is therefore not separate from the chocolate-making story. The grower’s knowledge and decisions are part of what ultimately appears in the bar.

International Recognition

Pacari’s Ecuadorian chocolate has received extensive international recognition. The company reports earning more than 300 international awards, including honours from the International Chocolate Awards. That recognition has helped introduce Ecuadorian-made chocolate and the distinctive character of the country’s cacao to a wider global audience.

Exploring the Flavours of Ecuador

Pacari’s range demonstrates how varied chocolate can become when cacao is treated as an ingredient with its own character.

Alongside high-percentage dark chocolate and 100 per cent cacao, the company has experimented with ingredients associated with the landscapes and flavours of Latin America. Its chocolates have incorporated combinations ranging from fruit and herbs to spices and salt.

Yet some of its most revealing bars remain those that allow the cacao itself to take centre stage.

Different origins can reveal contrasting fruit, floral, nut and roasted notes, giving consumers an accessible introduction to the concept of chocolate terroir.

Ecuadorian Chocolate with a Global Audience

Pacari has earned extensive international recognition and is now sold well beyond Ecuador. Yet its identity remains firmly connected to the country where its cacao is grown and its chocolate is produced.

That makes Pacari significant beyond the individual bars it creates.

It demonstrates how cacao-producing countries can participate in more of chocolate’s value chain — growing the cacao, developing the expertise to transform it and presenting the finished chocolate under their own brands.

For chocolate lovers, Pacari offers something equally compelling: an opportunity to experience Ecuadorian cacao through chocolate made at its source.