Origins

It has been commonly believed that cacao comes from the Mesoamerican countries, but recent archaeological findings show that cacao was first cultivated in the upper Amazon regions. Pots and vessels of approximately 5,300 years old have been found in the region of Zamora-Chinchipe, in the Southern part of Ecuador. In these pots and vessels cacao residues have been found. This proves two important things: cacao was already consumed by pre-Colombian tribes and Ecuador is the oldest origin of cacao yet identified by scientific research.