At Rio Nuevo, we know that chocolate quality, flavour and provenance matter. That’s why we’re dedicated to providing kitchens across the UK and beyond with the best cooking chocolate.
Exclusively derived from Arriba Nacional cacao beans, Rio Nuevo chocolate is exceptional in quality and taste. Our gourmet, single origin cooking chocolate is the perfect addition to your cakes, bakes and more complex desserts.
With a delicious, perfectly balanced flavour profile, and delicate floral and fruity notes, it’s a world apart from the ordinary cooking chocolates that can be found on shelves across the UK.
The Finest Cacao Variety in The World
Specific to Ecuador, Arriba Nacional is the oldest and rarest variety of cacao in the world, and produces some of the most delicious chocolate available on the market.
Widely regarded as the finest chocolate, and with a genetic lineage that can be traced back directly to the earliest domesticated cacao trees, Arriba Nacional is deeply rooted in the culinary history of Ecuador, and contributed significantly to the development of Europe’s chocolate industry.
Arriba Nacional Cacao Pod
By ensuring that the cacao that we use is exclusively of single origin, we can preserve the delicate and unique flavour profiles of the Arriba Nacional cacao that make our chocolate truly special.
Quality, Flavour & Provenance
Cacao is a fruit that needs to be processed before becoming chocolate and the stages it goes through before becoming a final finished product are very important in determining the quality and final taste of the chocolate.
Our chocolate making process starts with harvesting the Arriba Nacional cacao beans by hand. The next stage is fermentation, where the deep, rich flavour is unlocked.
The harvested beans are placed in a wooden box covered with fresh banana leaves. Fermentation lasts between 5-8 days and the beans are turned on different days to allow oxygen in. Temperatures reach around 50 – 52 degrees Celsius allowing important bacteria to go into the beans, breaking down the proteins into the flavour and aroma we taste. Finally the cacao beans are dried, reducing the moisture and eliminating the bitterness of the bean. All these processes are crucial in the flavour development of the cacao beans and the quality of the chocolate.
The product of true artisanal expertise and care, all of our cooking chocolate has been sourced and processed with the utmost care and attention to detail and it's available in convenient, easily meltable shavings that can be quickly incorporated into treats like brownies and cakes, or standout in more elaborate desserts.