Venezuelan or Ecuadorian Cacao? A Simple Guide to the Two Origins
Venezuelan and Ecuadorian cacao often get grouped together as South American cacao, but the place behind the cacao matters.
At Mother Earth we keep the origins separate because Sur del Lago in Venezuela and Tena in the Ecuadorian Amazon are different sourcing stories, not interchangeable versions of the same product.
Sur del Lago, Venezuela
Just Cacao comes from the Sur del Lago de Maracaibo region of Venezuela. This is the cacao that sits closest to the beginning of the Mother Earth story and the original Just Cacao range.
See our current Sur del Lago Venezuela cacao.
Tena, Ecuador
Mother Earth Ecuador cacao comes from Tena in the Ecuadorian Amazon. It is kept as its own origin so customers can see where it comes from rather than buying a generic block labelled only as South American cacao.
See our current Tena Ecuador cacao.
Which one should you choose?
There is no useful reason to turn the two origins into a winner and loser. Choose based on the current product format, the source story, availability and the cacao you actually enjoy preparing.
Flavour can vary naturally from batch to batch, so the current product page is the best place for the latest tasting notes and pack information.
What if one origin is unavailable?
Our cacao range also includes Guatemalan origins and Amma cacao from India, so you do not need to wait for a specific country to keep drinking cacao.
