Quito / Ecuador
Hoja Verde processes Ecuador's Fino de Aroma cacao from Esmeraldas and Zamora into bean-to-bar chocolate at its own Cayambe plant, wrapped in compostable sugarcane packaging. The maker has collected more than 30 awards since 2013.
Best for Bean-to-bar chocolate from Ecuador's Fino de Aroma cacao
Hoja Verde runs as a true bean-to-bar operation, meaning the company controls the process from harvested cacao through to the finished chocolate bar rather than buying in already-processed couverture. The beans are Ecuador's own Nacional variety, known locally as Cacao Fino de Aroma for the floral, citric, and fruity notes that set it apart from bulk cacao — Ecuador is the world's largest producer of this fine-aroma type, and Hoja Verde sources its supply from Esmeraldas and Zamora, two of the country's cacao-growing provinces, before processing everything at its own plant in Cayambe. The company works with organic cacao and states it pays farmers fairly for it, positioning sourcing as a relationship rather than a spot-market purchase. Packaging follows the same logic: bars ship in EARTH PACK wrap, made from recyclable, biodegradable sugarcane-derived material instead of standard plastic film. The finished range covers pure dark bars, flavored and filled variations, and a separate coffee line, sold through the sister storefront Hoja Verde Gourmet both in Ecuador and via international online orders. The company states it has collected more than 30 awards since 2013, though it doesn't name them individually — still, that's a decade-plus track record of outside recognition for a maker built around a single, traceable variety of bean.
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