ec-camino-verde-balao

Camino Verde (Balao)

Ecuador · Guayas (Balao; centralised fermentary now in Durán)  draft

Nacionaladmixture

Camino Verde, founded by microbiologist Vicente Norero, began as a Nacional cacao estate near Balao in Ecuador's Guayas lowlands and is now a centralised fermentary in Durán supplying craft chocolate makers worldwide, known for experimental inoculated fermentation protocols.

EquatorTropic of CancerTropic of CapricornFar North Queensland — AustraliaIxcacao — San Felipe — BelizeStann Creek — BelizeToledo (Maya Mountain) — BelizeToledo Cacao Growers Association (TCGA) — BelizeAlto Beni — BoliviaBaures — Itenez wild cacao — BoliviaBaures / Iténez — BoliviaEl Ceibo (Alto Beni) — BoliviaTrópico de Cochabamba — BoliviaWild Bolivian Amazon Cacao (Beni) — BoliviaBahia (Ilhéus) — BrazilBahia cabruca — Cocoa Coast — BrazilLinhares (Espírito Santo) — BrazilMedicilândia (Transamazônica) — BrazilRondônia — BrazilTomé-Açu (Pará) — BrazilTransamazônica — central Pará — BrazilVale do Juruá — Acre native cacao — BrazilBarombi-Kang (IRAD regional trial) — CameroonCameroon (bulk cacao) — CameroonMbangassina (Grand Mbam) — CameroonPHP (Penja) — CameroonSouth-West (Meme) — CameroonAntioquia — ColombiaArauca — ColombiaCaquetá Amazon piedmont — ColombiaCundinamarca — Yacopí / Pacho — ColombiaHuila — ColombiaSantander — ColombiaSierra Nevada de Santa Marta — ColombiaTolima — ColombiaTumaco — ColombiaTalamanca — Costa RicaTalamanca — APPTA — Costa RicaUpala — Costa RicaAbengourou (Indénié-Djuablin) — Côte d'IvoireCAPEDIG (Duékoué) — Côte d'IvoireCôte d'Ivoire (bulk cacao) — Côte d'IvoireECAM (Méagui) — Côte d'IvoireSCEB (Agnéby-Tiassa) — Côte d'IvoireSoubré (Nawa) — Côte d'IvoireBaracoa — CubaBaracoa — Jamal central processing — CubaEsco Kivu (Beni-Watalinga) — Democratic Republic of the CongoNorth Kivu / Beni — Democratic Republic of the CongoTshopo (Bengamisa) — Democratic Republic of the CongoBois Cotlette — DominicaCONACADO — Dominican RepublicCOOPROAGRO — Dominican RepublicHato Mayor — Dominican RepublicHispaniola (San Francisco de Macorís) — Dominican RepublicÖko Caribe — Dominican RepublicReserva Zorzal — Dominican RepublicSan Francisco de Macorís — Dominican RepublicYamasá — Dominican RepublicArriba Nacional — EcuadorCamino Verde (Balao) — EcuadorEl Oro — EcuadorEsmeraldas — EcuadorGuayas — EcuadorHacienda Limón — EcuadorLos Ríos — EcuadorManabí — EcuadorNapo (Kallari) — EcuadorNorte de Esmeraldas — APROCANE — EcuadorSucumbíos — EcuadorVinces — EcuadorZamora-Chinchipe — APEOSAE — EcuadorVanua Levu — FijiABOCFA (Suhum) — GhanaGhana (West African Amelonado) — GhanaJuabeso-Bia — GhanaKuapa Kokoo — GhanaOffinso Fine Flavour Cooperative — GhanaSefwi-Wiawso — GhanaYayra Glover (Suhum) — GhanaGrenada — GrenadaGrenada Chocolate Cooperative — Hermitage — GrenadaAlta Verapaz — GuatemalaCahabón — GuatemalaIzabal — GuatemalaLachuá — GuatemalaPolochic Valley — GuatemalaSuchitepéquez — GuatemalaGuinea (bulk cacao) — GuineaAcul-du-Nord — HaitiGrand-Anse — Dame-Marie — HaitiGrand'Anse — HaitiNord (FECCANO) — HaitiAtlántida (Pico Bonito) — HondurasCholoma — APACH — HondurasCopán — HondurasPatuca — Tawahka — HondurasWampusirpi — HondurasEast Godavari — IndiaIdukki — IndiaKarnataka — IndiaKerala — IndiaTamil Nadu — IndiaWest Godavari — IndiaAceh — IndonesiaBali — IndonesiaFlores — IndonesiaHalmahera — IndonesiaJava — IndonesiaLampung — IndonesiaMamuju — IndonesiaPolewali Mandar — IndonesiaRansiki — IndonesiaSulawesi — IndonesiaJamaica — JamaicaMorgan's Valley, Clarendon — JamaicaRichmond, Saint Mary — JamaicaLiberia (bulk cacao) — LiberiaLofa (Voinjama / Foya) — LiberiaNimba (Karnplay) — LiberiaÅkesson's Ambolikapiky — MadagascarAly Robert (Antsatsaka) — MadagascarFOFIFA Ankatafahely (Ambanja) — MadagascarMAVA Plantation (Sambirano) — MadagascarMillot Estate (Bejofo) — MadagascarSambirano Valley — MadagascarT'MAR (Upper Sambirano) — MadagascarSabah (Tawau) — MalaysiaSarawak — MalaysiaComalcalco — Chontalpa — MexicoComalcalco — Hacienda Jesús María (CACEP) — MexicoLos Tuxtlas — MexicoOaxaca (Chinantla) — MexicoSoconusco — MexicoTabasco — MexicoTapachula — Soconusco heirloom cooperatives — MexicoYucatán rejolladas (sacred Maya cacao groves) — MexicoMatagalpa — NicaraguaMining Triangle — Bonanza, Siuna, Rosita — NicaraguaNueva Guinea — NicaraguaRío San Juan — NicaraguaWaslala — NicaraguaCRIN (Ajassor seed garden) — NigeriaCross River (Ikom-Etung-Boki) — NigeriaNigeria (bulk cacao) — NigeriaBocas del Toro — PanamaCOCABO — Bocas del Toro — PanamaComarca Ngäbe-Buglé — PanamaBougainville — Papua New GuineaEast Sepik — Papua New GuineaKarkar Island — Papua New GuineaMadang — Papua New GuineaNew Britain — Papua New GuineaNew Ireland — Papua New GuineaAmazonas (Bagua) — PeruChuncho — PeruHuánuco (Tingo María) — PeruMadre de Dios — PeruMarañón Canyon — PeruOxapampa — Yánesha & Asháninka — PeruPiura Blanco — PeruQuillabamba — Alto Urubamba — PeruSan Martín — PeruSan Martín — ACOPAGRO — PeruSatipo — PeruUcayali — PeruVizcatán del Ene — VRAEM — PeruBatangas — PhilippinesBohol — PhilippinesCebu — PhilippinesDavao — PhilippinesDavao de Oro — PhilippinesDavao Oriental — PhilippinesNegros Occidental — PhilippinesHacienda Chocolat (Fajardo) — Puerto RicoSaint Lucia Island Growers — Saint LuciaSamoa — SamoaCECAB (São Tomé) — São Tomé and PríncipeCECAQ-11 (São Tomé) — São Tomé and PríncipePríncipe (Terreiro Velho) — São Tomé and PríncipeRoça Agostinho Neto (Rio do Ouro) — São Tomé and PríncipeRoça Bombaim — São Tomé and PríncipeRoça Diogo Vaz — São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé (roça cacao) — São Tomé and PríncipeNgoleagorbu (Kenema-Kailahun, Gola) — Sierra LeoneSierra Leone (bulk cacao) — Sierra LeoneGuadalcanal — Solomon IslandsMakira — Solomon IslandsMalaita — Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands — Solomon IslandsKandy — Sri LankaKurunegala — Sri LankaMatale — Sri LankaRabot Estate (Soufrière) — St. LuciaKokoa Kamili (Kilombero Valley) — TanzaniaKyela (Mababu) — TanzaniaMababu Cooperative — TanzaniaMbeya (Southern Highlands) — TanzaniaTanga (Usambara historical) — TanzaniaChanthaburi — ThailandChiang Mai — ThailandChumphon — ThailandKpalimé-Akébou (Choco Togo / Vision+) — TogoTogo (bulk cacao) — TogoBrasso Seco — Trinidad and TobagoFour Roads Tamana — Trinidad and TobagoHeights of Aripo — Trinidad and TobagoInternational Cocoa Genebank, Trinidad (ICGT) — Centeno — Trinidad and TobagoLopinot — Trinidad and TobagoMarper Farm — Trinidad and TobagoTableland — Trinidad and TobagoTobago (Roxborough) — Trinidad and TobagoTobago Cocoa Estate — Trinidad and TobagoTrinitario Heartland — Trinidad and TobagoBundibugyo / Semuliki — UgandaMukono-Buikwe — UgandaSemuliki Forest (Latitude Trade) — UgandaHawai'i Island — United StatesO'ahu (Waialua) — United StatesAore — VanuatuEpi — VanuatuMalekula — VanuatuCanoabo — VenezuelaCarenero (Barlovento) — VenezuelaCaripito — VenezuelaChoroní — VenezuelaChuao — VenezuelaCuyagua — VenezuelaHacienda San José (Paria) — VenezuelaOcumare de la Costa — VenezuelaPatanemo — VenezuelaPorcelana — VenezuelaRío Caribe — VenezuelaSur del Lago — VenezuelaYaracuy — Güáquira — VenezuelaBà Rịa-Vũng Tàu — VietnamBến Tre — VietnamĐắk Lắk — VietnamĐắk Nông — VietnamĐồng Nai — VietnamLâm Đồng — VietnamTiền Giang — Vietnam
CountryEcuador
RegionGuayas (Balao; centralised fermentary now in Durán)
Growing regionAmericas
Coordinates-2.91°, -79.81° (approx.)
Elevation0-100 m
Producerestate · Camino Verde (Vicente Norero) — centralised fermentary, Durán
Genetic groupsNacional, admixture
Traditional classNacional
Also known asBalao
Bean notesUntil 2016, Camino Verde was a single estate growing and fermenting its own Nacional cacao near Balao; after the land was sold the operation moved to Durán, near Guayaquil, and now centrally ferments wet beans bought from over a hundred Ecuadorian farms and associations.
Harvest seasonmain Mar-Jun; smaller crop Oct-Feb
FermentationControlled box fermentation by microbiologist Vicente Norero, using purposeful temperature control and inoculated microbial protocols.
DryingSun-dried, often on covered raised beds.
Flavourhoneysuckle · walnut · guava · bright fruit · floral
Updated2026-05-23

Sources

  • Meridian Cacao — 'Camino Verde' origin profile (history, move from Balao to Durán in 2016) — https://meridiancacao.com/blogs/origins/camino-verde
  • Dandelion Chocolate — 'Camino Verde, Ecuador' blog (Vicente Norero, microbiology background, sourcing model) — https://blog.dandelionchocolate.com/our-beans/camino-verde/
  • Fossa Chocolate — 'Camino Verde and Cacao Fermentation' (temperature control, inoculated ferments at Balao) — https://www.fossachocolate.com/blog/2016/2/18/camino-verde-and-cacao-fermentation
  • Mission Chocolate — 'Cacao in Ecuador: My visit to Camino Verde Cacao in Balao' (Nacional, flavor: honeysuckle/walnut/guava) — https://missionchocolate.com/blogs/travel-blog/16813751-cacao-in-ecuador
  • Dandelion Chocolate, 'Camino Verde, Ecuador' — https://blog.dandelionchocolate.com/our-beans/camino-verde/
  • Meridian Cacao, 'Camino Verde origin profile' — https://meridiancacao.com/blogs/origins/camino-verde
  • Fossa Chocolate 2016, 'Camino Verde and Cacao Fermentation' — https://www.fossachocolate.com/blog/2016/2/18/camino-verde-and-cacao-fermentation

Related origins

Asia & Pacific au-far-north-queensland Far North Queensland Australia · Far North Queensland (Mossman / Daintree / Mission Beach) admixture fruity · nutty · caramel · mild Americas bz-ixcacao-san-felipe Ixcacao — San Felipe Belize · San Felipe village, Toledo District (southern Belize) Criolloadmixture honey · caramel · nutty · spice Americas bz-stann-creek Stann Creek Belize · Stann Creek District admixture cocoa · nutty · mild fruit · balanced Americas bz-toledo-maya-mountain Toledo (Maya Mountain) Belize · Toledo District Criolloadmixture bright fruit · raisin · nutty · balanced Americas bz-tcga-toledo Toledo Cacao Growers Association (TCGA) Belize · Toledo and South Stann Creek districts (southern Belize) CriolloAmelonadoadmixture raisin · honey · spice · tropical fruit Americas bo-alto-beni Alto Beni Bolivia · La Paz Department (Alto Beni) admixture fruity · nutty · honey · balanced
Trust receipt — e022df64ebfdfac8 — draft
Record SHA-256
e022df64ebfdfac8Full hash — e022df64ebfdfac87a454da8146a1206a34c30d0eddd601d403d529d528eb7ad
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Internet Archive snapshot
web.archive.org
First indexed
(not recorded)
Last revised
2026-05-23
Status
draft
Cited sources
7

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