Salón del Chocolate

Among the many chocolate festivals held around the world, Quito's Salón del Chocolate has earned a particular reputation for showcasing genuinely exceptional cacao. The concept was originally borrowed from France roughly two decades ago, as growing global interest in cacao's origin and terroir made Ecuador's producers an increasingly natural fit for this kind of dedicated showcase.

Each May, around 15,000 visitors descend on the festival for exclusive tastings from Ecuadorean producers spanning both large-scale operations and small artisan makers, giving a genuine sense of the range Ecuador's cacao industry now offers. The event builds toward its final day, when award winners across various categories are announced — with the chocolate sculpture competition consistently drawing the biggest crowds, showcasing just how far chocolate craftsmanship can be pushed as an art form.

Given Ecuador grows around 60 percent of the world's fine-flavour cacao, Quito's festival functions as something close to a definitive showcase of the category — an opportunity to taste directly from the source of some of the most prized cacao anywhere in the world.