Four Salvadoran farms will represent that Central American country at the Paris Chocolate Show, after winning the IV El Salvador 2023 “Cacao of Excellence” contest, according to the Cocoa Committee of Central America and the Dominican Republic (SICACAO). The four winners of said contest are Los Ángeles Farm (first place), Mi Finca (second place), Varsovia Farm (third place), and La Vega Farm (fourth place), the source said in a statement.

The productions chosen, according to SICACAO, are the result of a strict selection process by the Organizing Committee of the IV Cocoa Contest of Excellence 2023, El Salvador edition, which included the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), the National Center for Agricultural and Forestry Technology (CENTA), and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), through Alianza Cacao El Salvador.

The cocoa contest was developed in different stages, from the reception of the grain (where 43 samples participated), the physical analysis of each grain, and the transformation into cocoa paste that served as an analysis sample before the tasters and experts.

This type of event contributes to the implementation of the Regional Cocoa Strategy of the countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA), which among its strategic objectives includes “improving the position of the region as high-quality cocoa producers”, In addition, it allows participants to be nationally and internationally recognizable.

The demand on the national market for Salvadoran cocoa is growing exponentially, generating a solid link between producers and their local buyers. The Paris Chocolate Show will bring together pastry chefs, confectioners from cocoa-producing countries, and master chocolatiers from all over the world. Attendees will be able to observe recipe demonstrations by renowned chefs, see shows from cocoa-producing countries, and attend lectures and tastings.