Cárdenas Chocolate

“One memory from that era stands out vividly: running barefoot across the kilometre of hot sand, knowing that I would soon reach that shore to dive into the seaand them slide down the gigantic dunes. Sometimes, when the tide was wild and waves crashed with force, the sea would unearth artefacts from the Manteño-Huancavilca culture from the dunes. For years, a Manteño chair sat in our garden until it was stolen after we moved.”

From the book Tierra Hermosa: an Ecuadorian tale of chocolate.
Chronicle 5 - Gigi

“They met in the summer of 1960, at a dance hosted by my mother’s high school. Ramiro was instantly captivated by the young woman swaying gracefully across the floor in a taffeta dress and silk gloves. Her elegance, glance and beauty left him spellbound. She moved through the room unaware of the effect she had on those around her. Years later, she would admit that Ramiro´s look hadn’t made an impression on her. What drew her in and made her fall in love was his intelligence and stand.”

From the book Tierra Hermosa: an Ecuadorian tale of chocolate
Chronicle 5 - Gigi

Chocolate

Gracias, público quiteño, por el gran recibimiento a nuestro libro “Tierra Hermosa: una historia ecuatoriana de chocolate”.

Feliz de presentarlo en .rayuela.ec y de contar con la participación de voces como el arqueólogo doctor Francisco Valdez, quien descubrió el centro ceremonial de Santa Ana, La Florida, Ecuador, con restos de cacao de 5.500 años de antigüedad.

Luego, gracias a una invitación de la prestigiosa .uio , tuvimos un fascinante conversatorio con su director, , y con el gremio gastronómico de la capital, que incluyó chefs, chocolatiers, pasteleros, académicos, estudiantes y colegas.

Tierra Hermosa está agotada. La segunda edición del libro llegará muy pronto. ¡Gracias, lectores! ——-

Thank you, dear Quito audience, for the inspiring welcome to our book “Tierra Hermosa: an Ecuadorian tale of chocolate.”

It was a joy to present it at Rayuela Bookstore alongside remarkable voices, such as archaeologist Dr. Francisco Valdez, whose discovery of the Santa Ana ceremonial centre in Santa Ana, La Florida, Ecuador—home to cacao remains over 5,500 years old.

We were pleased to continue the conversation at the prestigious School of Chefs with Andrés Granda and Quito’s vibrant gastronomic community.

Tierra Hermosa is now sold out. A second edition is coming soon. Thank you, readers!

A feminine voice of cacao and craft chocolate, “Tierra Hermosa: an Ecuadorian tale of chocolate”
——
Lima, Bahía, Chone
“Hilda arrived in Bahía de Caraquez from Lima, Peru, when she was just eleven years old. It was 1926, and Bahía was experiencing a great moment. It was the most important port in northern Manabí. From here, all the cacao Nacional from the Chone Valley was shipped to Europe and the United States.

The cacao beans that were destined for the finest tables of the Old Continent dried on the streets of Bahía. The town bustled with life: prosperous businesses lined every corner next to elegant hotels, clubs and even foreign consulates. At that time, it was Ecuador´s second busiest port after Guayaquil.”