Many of us can attest to the fact that chocolate can transport you. Carla Barboto, co-founder of award-winning Pacari Chocolate, says one bite of her bars can send your mind into the cacao groves of Ecuador.
“In the bean you can taste the earth. So in Esmeraldas, a province that has a lot of rain, you feel notes of banana and honey. In another region, Manabi, it’s the opposite. There’s so much sun, the flavour is more floral, jasmine and fresh.”
Pacari, which works with more than 3,500 small-scale organic growers in the provinces surrounding the company’s base in Quito, has won multiple golds in the International Chocolate Awards.
Here, Barboto shares five places to visit in her home city of Quito.
Old Town
“I go on the weekends just to walk or relax in the central plaza. You can go into the churches, which are very nice and have a lot of gold on them. Also La Ronda to see the shops. You should always have an Ecuadorean lunch, locro soup, which is soup with potato, cheese and avocado. Delicious.”
Local market
“Go to a market to see all the diverse fruits that we have and to experience the real culture. You can go to the Santa Clara Market or the Inaquito Market. They’re in the city – very colourful, very beautiful. We go there to do our grocery shopping.”
Pacari’s chocolate tour
“You can come and see the cacao farms. This is in the Amazon, so it’s a very special place. We walk into the fields and see different varieties of plants and fruits, and we also see the cacao, to harvest it and taste it. You see how the people really live and cook a meal with them. The tour ends in our office in Quito with a chocolate tasting.” destinationecuador.com
Pobre Diablo restaurant
“This was once an old beer factory so it has a lot of personality. They serve really good local food, such as locro, some things with plantain, empanadas. And they have music some nights.” Isabel La Catolica N24-274 y Galavis esq. La Floresta, elpobrediablo.com
Termas de Papallacta
“If you like hot springs, visit Papallacta. This is around 1.5 hours from Quito. It’s in the middle of some mountains on the way to the jungle. It has thermal pools and a spa. They also have trekking trails.” Km. 65 via Quito, www.termaspapallacta.com
This interview has been edited and condensed.