A sophisticated and beautifully expressive single-origin 77% dark chocolate crafted by Amedei Toscana from cacao grown in Ecuador, a country with an extraordinary heritage of fine cacao cultivation.
Ecuador 77% combines impressive cacao intensity with an unexpectedly rounded and elegant personality. Its distinctive aromatic signature moves from pure cacao and ripe banana to dried fruit and toasted caramel, creating a chocolate that is powerful yet wonderfully harmonious. Amedei describes the Ecuador Cru as possessing an “explosive character” while remaining round, elegant and persistent.
Producer: Amedei Toscana
Chocolate Origin: Pontedera, Tuscany, Italy
Cacao Origin: Ecuador
Cocoa: Minimum 77%
Style: Single-Origin Extra Dark Chocolate
Format: 50 g / 1.75 oz
The recipe is exceptionally pure: cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cane sugar. This simplicity allows the distinctive aromatic character of the Ecuadorian cacao to remain at the forefront.
Aroma:
Deep and expressive, opening with concentrated pure cacao, followed by ripe banana, dried fruit and warm roasted nuances.
Palate:
Rich and enveloping, with an immediate intensity of dark cacao that gradually develops into softer, more exotic fruit notes. Ripe banana and dried fruit provide natural roundness before giving way to a beautifully integrated roasted character.
Texture:
Smooth, dense and refined, with a precise snap followed by a gradual, velvety melt. Despite its 77% cacao concentration, the chocolate feels remarkably rounded rather than austere.
Finish:
Long and persistent, culminating in Amedei's distinctive note of toasted caramel, which provides a fascinating contrast to the intense cacao and fruit character.
Ecuador is one of the world's historic fine-cacao origins, and Amedei's Ecuador 77% belongs to its I Cru collection, alongside single-origin expressions from Madagascar, Grenada and Venezuela.
Rather than blending cacao from several countries, the single-origin approach allows the individual personality of Ecuadorian cacao to take center stage. In this expression, that personality is particularly distinctive: intense cacao, exotic fruit, dried-fruit richness and toasted caramel.
It is an excellent example of the concept of terroir in fine chocolate, demonstrating how cacao origin can influence aroma, flavor and structure much as vineyard origin does in fine wine.
Amedei Ecuador 77% is a beautifully balanced single-origin dark chocolate that combines intensity with remarkable elegance.
Its 77% cacao provides plenty of depth, but what distinguishes this chocolate is its unusual aromatic progression—from pure cacao through banana and dried fruit to a lingering toasted-caramel finish.
For anyone exploring Amedei's single-origin collection, Ecuador provides a fascinating contrast to the brighter red-fruit character of Madagascar 72%, the deeper dried-fruit personality of Grenada 85%, and the formidable intensity of Venezuela 92%.
The combination of dark cacao, banana, dried fruit and toasted caramel makes Ecuador 77% particularly versatile with fortified wines and aged spirits.
Tawny Port is especially compelling, as its caramelized nuts and dried-fruit character beautifully echoes the chocolate. Madeira, aged rum and Cognac are equally attractive, while Vin Santo offers a distinctly Italian pairing.
For something more adventurous, an aged Caribbean rum can highlight the chocolate's tropical-fruit and caramel nuances particularly well.
For a non-alcoholic pairing, enjoy with espresso or a rich, medium-roasted specialty coffee.
PAIR WITH:
Tawny Port · Madeira · Vin Santo · Aged Rum · Cognac · Armagnac · Espresso
