The Top 5 Best Chocolate Destinations in the World Might Surprise You

Did you know chocolate comes from an American plant called cacao? The word chocolate comes from the Aztec word cacahuatl, meaning food of the gods. 

The cacao plant bears a shelled fruit called a cacao pod. Both the seeds and the pulp inside this pod are edible, but it’s the seeds inside of these crazy-looking fruits that are the main ingredient in chocolate. The pulp is also consumed in traditional beverages and raw. 

The little seeds are extremely powerful. They are also called cacao beans. These beans are mostly made of fat (40-50%) which can be turned into cacao butter. 

Cacao Producers (less expensive)

If you are looking for a tour of the world’s best chocolate countries, you might want to visit the top producers of cacao. These are Ivory Coast, Brazil, Ecuador, and Ghana. The Ivory Coast alone accounts for around 40% of the world’s cacao, while Colombia and Ecuador account for 50% of the genetic diversity in cacao variety. 

The three main types of cacao are forastero, criollo, and trinitario. Of these, criollo is the rarest and considered the best quality. The best criollo cacao comes from the Chuao region in northern Venezuela, but it is not included in this destination compilation due to the country’s political and economic instability.

1. Colombia

Cacao originally comes from the area connecting the Andes mountain range with the Amazon rainforest. The cacao producing regions in Colombia produce beans that bear organic chocolate with wildly different tastes. The main chocolate producing regions are the Holy Mountain of Santa Marta, Tumaco, Narino. 

The Holy Mountain:

Cacao from the The Holy Mountain (Minca) is sometimes mixed with honey comb and coca leaf to produce a thick, crumbly slice of homemade-feeling chocolate with bits of natural umami grains embedded. 

Tumaco:

Cacao from Tumaco produces a fine aroma and is often eaten dark. It is fruity with a bit of acidity and an ocean of depth.

Narino

Cacao from Narino is saltier. It has a smooth texture that contrasts with its wild changes in taste. It starts salty and dry, but quickly melts with a kind of natural cold sweetness. 

2. Ecuador

This tiny country has the highest density of biodiversity in the world. Along with Colombia, it has some of the world’s most exotic fruits and flowers. 

It is one of those destinations that no one will tell you about. Despite its relative small size and obscurity, it is a shining giant in the world of cacao production. Starting around 10 years ago, Brazil and Ecuador decided to specialize in the production and exportation of high-end chocolate.  

Often, chocolates from the Ipiales region in Colombia and Ecuador will include fruits that exist nowhere else on earth.

3. Ivory Coast

Good old African innovation is burned at both ends at Mantra Chocolate Factory in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. One creative use of the available resources highlighted by TRT World on their YouTube channel is a regular old bicycle converted into an eco-friendly grinder for cacao beans. The country produces more than 2 million tons of cacao every year. Unfortunately, the country does not actually have many factories and confectionaries to process the beans into chocolate. 

Young entrepreneurs like the owners of Mantra Chocolate are hoping to change that. 

Chocolate Specialists (more expensive)

4. Belgium

The city of Brussels is considered the chocolate capital of the world. One of the special treatments Belgians give their chocolate is a thorough grinding. Visitflanders.com advertises a chocolate style so fine the powder is ground to a diameter of just 15 to 18 microns.

Another key to the experience of a rich Belgian chocolate is just how creative and widespread chocolate-making is as a profession and as a hobby. Cottage chocolate, truffle, and praline specialists will often join forces to create interesting combinations and constantly keep things fresh. 

Godiva, Belvas, and Leonidas are some of the top Belgian chocolate producing companies.

5. Switzerland

Some of the world-famous chocolate shops hailing from Switzerland are Toblerone, Lindt, and Nestle. It’s a fat cat of the chocolate world with decades of experience crafting fantastic chocolate for the world. 

Tours:

Switzerland’s older chocolate company is called Cailler. It was founded in 1815. You can visit their original factory for taste tours. Other taste tours include Nestle’s. Nestle actually started as a small business focused on baby formulas in the mid 19^th century.

Consumption:

The Swiss also eat incredible amounts of chocolate. The average consumer eats more than 10 kgs of chocolate a year. What better place for a hot cup of cocoa than the freezing Swiss Alps!?