Discovering Gems We were elated to hear the news about another designation site selected by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund (HCP) a few weeks back. It reminded us of our very own heirloom designated cooperative here in Ecuador.  The desire to promote specialty cacao and chocolate in this ind...

       March 30, 2022  Dale Erwin Returning back the way we came, we flew through the lush landscape alongside long-legged water birds.  We alighted at the white and green painted buildings of UOPROCAE, one of Conexión Chocolate’s partner cooperatives. Here our farmers collect their harvested cac...

 February 26, 2022  Dale Erwin      Last week, our team visited Esmeraldas. Raul invited us to his finca. He’s the former president of the UOPROCAE cacao Co-operative. His farm is about 4 hectares of jungle, reached by a bumpy road lined with emerald cow pastures and glassy ponds. I sat in the b...

You’ve probably heard of heirloom tomatoes, but have you heard of heirloom cacao? The term “heirloom” comes down to the preservation of non-GMO seeds that produce the most flavorful, richest tasting fruits. That’s true not just of tomatoes but of other products, including cacao! At Conexión Choc...

Conexión Founder Jenny Samaniego will be a panelist in the upcoming Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) discussion on Heirloom Cacao Preservation on March 11th, 2021. Jenny is honored to be joining other industry experts Matt Caputo of Caputo's Market & Deli, Jacob Marlin of Bfree, and...