Chocolataria Equador in Porto

Whenever I visit a new city or country, I must find its local chocolate shop. And in Portugal, by God’s grace, a place we stopped by for lunch in Porto, was right next door to a chocolate company I had researched prior. And when I walked in, the local walking out the door told me, “It’s the best local chocolate store around.” :)

Chocoalataria Equador was created in 2010 in Porto, and does the entire bean to bar process using chocolates grown in Equador. My first impression of the shop is it was very charming, clean, organized, beautiful rustic packaging, and a strong smell of chocolate that filled the boutique. I loved the selections of a range of percentages of chocolate bars, chocolate bars flavored with inclusions, chocolate covered or enrobed items, hand-rolled truffles, and chocolate bonbons. Basically, they had a little bit of everything!

The pricing was extremely affordable compared to Hawai`i and they even had some cute cards, a tote bag, and collector’s items that as a chocolatier in Hawai`i, I just had to have and bring back for the team.

But what impressed me most, was the taste. I was delightfully surprised by the fresh, quality of the taste of their chocolates. Like the food that just blew me away in Portugal because of its simplicity and fresh ingredients, the chocolate was the same. A smooth texture, creamy ganache centers, and a nice tempered snap on the outside. Nothing fancy, but very satisfying.

I send my warm congratulations to the husband and wife founders, Celestino Tedim Fonseca and Teresa Almeida, and their team at Chocolataria Equador. If you are ever in Porto, I highly recommend paying them a visit!

bringing peace by piece

I love to search for something local whenever I travel. For me, it will always be a local chocolate store! :) For you it could be art, ceramics, cheese, etc…but it makes traveling and searching for that something special, extra fun and rewarding when you find it!