The Ecuadorian Embassy promoted local manufacturer of high-end chocolates Pacari along with other companies at Coex last week.

Pacari representatives arrived in Seoul for a four-day exhibition from Jan. 16 called “Salon du Chocolat,” in search of a South Korean partner and entry into the growing domestic market here for chocolate treats.

Combining a passion for sustainable business and a commitment to preserving the native Arriba Nacional Cacao bean, they developed Pacari Chocolate ― the first single-origin organic chocolate made entirely in Ecuador.

The product’s name, Pacari, means “nature” in the indigenous Quechua language.

“Ecuadorian cacao has been known traditionally as a very high-quality commodity around the world for many decades. In a relatively short period of time, Ecuadorian dark chocolates have entered the world’s top 10, despite the long-lasting tradition and reputation of some well-known brands that used our cacao as a raw material,” Marcelo Pazos, director of the Commercial Office of Ecuador.

Pacari is also a family-owned company in which every step of the production process takes place in Ecuador. Santiago Peralta and Carla Barboto built the business based on what they describe as “socially and environmentally sustainable principles to ensure that their products support the well-being of the land and the community around it.”

The exhibition may have netted a success, as it captured the interest of Hyundai Department Store on a possible deal, according to an official at the Ecuadorian Embassy.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)