Ecuador Nacional ASE

Cultivation of cocoa beans in Ecuador dates to more than 5000 years ago. The exports of cocoa beans, however, began around 1830, when wealthy families bought acres of land to produce cocoa beans. It was the first product ever exported from Ecuador. Arriba refers to the area in which the beans are grown: in the upriver areas of the Guayas river, in the lowland provinces of Ecuador: Guayas, Bolívar, Cotopaxi and Los Ríos. According to legend, the name was minted in the 19th century by a Swiss chocolate maker who encountered locals with freshly harvested cacao while navigating along the Guayas River. When asked where their cacao came from, they answered “de río arriba” or upriver. This cocoa is collected from smallholder farmers who individually ferment and dry their beans.