The 2023 edition of the “Salón del Cacao y Chocolate” was held this past weekend (from July 13th to the 16th) at the Lima convention center in San Borja. Over fifty thousand people visited the exposition this year, where Cocoa was the center of everything.
From talks for producers and enthusiasts to an exhibit and sales floor, the “salón del cacao y chocolate” had everything for everyone. We could see firsthand the cocoa fashion runway and traditional dances and taste the flavors of Peruvian Cocoa.
2023 is the first time the “Salon du chocolate” international brand supported a cocoa exposition in Latin America, giving this a new status to the yearly event.
THE COMPETITION
As every other year, the Peruvian Chocolate competition is held during this event, with over 150 samples in categories ranging from bean to bar, snacks, filled chocolates, and Cocoa as an ingredient, judging cocoa powder and cocoa butter.
- The International Chocolate Awards brand once again recognized Peruvian chocolates as one of the best in the region. Eighteen Gold medals for outstanding products, also silver and bronze medals were rewarded. These are some of the gold medal winners:
- Best overall Dark Chocolate Bar: Cacaosuyo el ganso
- Best overall Milk Chocolate Bar: Barberis Milk chocolate 60% cacao from bellavista
- Best overall Flavored bar: Milan Peruvian Chocolate Bitter with Camu camu
- Best overall filled chocolate: Renacer Chocolatier Macambo and Camu Camu
- Origin Bars: White Chocolate by Codi Chocolates 90 pts, Dark Conveca 90% chuncho chocolate from Echarate 88.2 pts, Milk Chocolate Barberis 60% from Bellavista 89.2 pts. Piura milk Cacaosuyo milk chocolate bar 90 pts, High percentage cocoa by Tsinane 100% dark with 89.4 pts and Paytiti fine flavor chocolate bar 90% with 90.6 pts; Cacaosuyo Chuncho cusco 89.6 pts
- Chocolate bar with inclusions: Cacaosuyo Lemon White Chocolate with 89.4; Milk Chocolate La Realeza chocolate with muña; Dark Chocolate Scrap & Chocolate Platanal bajo with mango roll, Dark chocolate with camu camy by Milan Peruvian Chocolate 90.1
- Filled Chocolate, ganache or truffles: Renacer Chocolatier with Macambo and camu camu with 90.6
- Chocolate spread: Karena Chocolate Cacao Algarrobo and Maca Spread with 90.4
- Cacao ingredient: Cocoa Butter by Paytiti with 90.1 points / Cocoa Powder by Candela with 90.3
You can see here the award ceremony here
IN THE KNOW: This event happens every year in July, but the great chocolates are available all year long, follow the link of the producers and contact them to enjoy amazing Peruvian Chocolate.