Switzerland 
Liechtenstein 
United States 
Canada 
Austria 
Belgium 
Bulgaria 
Croatia 
Czech Republic 
Denmark 
Estonia 
Finland 
France 
Germany 
Greece 
Hungary 
Ireland 
Italy 
Latvia 
Lithuania 
Luxembourg 
Malta 
Monaco 
Netherlands 
Poland 
Portugal 
Romania 
Slovakia 
Slovenia 
Spain 
Sweden 
United Kingdom 
Australia 
Brunei 
Cambodia 
China 
Hong Kong 
India 
Indonesia 
Laos 
Macao 
Malaysia 
Myanmar 
New Zealand 
Philippines 
Singapore 
South Korea 
Thailand 
Vietnam 
Japan 
Bahrain 
Jordan 
Kuwait 
Oman 
Qatar 
Saudi Arabia 
United Arab Emirates 
Access to your order history
Faster checkout
Manage and save your personal detailsCocoa is our most precious raw material. This time, we are following it all the way to Costa Rica, over 9,000 km away. The precise location is Upala, a northerly region of the country. There we visit Edwin, one of our long-standing partners, who manages cocoa plantations with his family and is constantly inventing new farming methods.
“El Cacao” is the name they lovingly gave to the community of just under 50 people that they founded with other cocoa farmers.
Edwin is already waving at us from afar as we drive across the field to his house. He wipes his hands on his T-shirt; he has just come from the plantation, he says apologetically.
Hence the rubber boots, too. A section of the cocoa fields directly abuts his house, and he immediately starts talking ten to the dozen: about the last harvest, about his latest method for combating pests, which he invented himself, and about many other ideas. His wife joins us with a knowing smile on her face and says that, first things first, we should go sit in the garden, drink a coffee and recover from our journey in peace.
Edwin’s father and grandfather owned cocoa plantations before him. However, their cocoa trees were completely destroyed in the Noughties. Hard times followed. They had to find a new way of making a living and started cultivating pineapples and exporting these to Florida.
A few years later, they once more tried their hand at cocoa farming, this time in a different place, and with success. Over the years, they have acquired a lot of knowledge and haven’t shied away from experimenting either, as Edwin explains. “El Cacao” is the name they lovingly gave to the community of just under 50 people that they founded with other cocoa farmers.
In addition to cultivating the Trinitario cocoa type, which forms the basis of Läderach’s dark chocolate, Edwin also runs a small farm with chickens and goats. There he grows his own grain, as well as real vanilla. For his plantations, he uses home-produced fertilizers and specially bred bacteria to combat pests. That’s because the farmers are always confronted with fresh challenges: hitherto unknown pest types, heavy rainfall that leaves the earth waterlogged and causes fungi to grow, and changes in the soil structure. And yet cocoa farming remains Edwin’s great passion – he has been a cocoa farmer for over 40 years. During this time, he has learned an incredible amount, attended further education courses and been in regular contact with farmers from other regions. At the moment, he is experimenting with a bacterium created from sea water and chicken eggs to help him with pest control.
Edwin has exclusively supplied cocoa to Läderach for over 10 years. although he does keep a small portion of the harvest for himself, he explains with a laugh. He too is a fan of chocolate. He is regularly visited by Läderach employees, who swap ideas with him; just a few months ago, he was visited by over 50 managers. They came as part of an anniversary trip, and our team were astonished by everything that Edwin has achieved. Showing his home and his work to people from faraway countries and cultures during this trip filled him with great pride.
Edwin’s passion, contentment and “pura vida” are infectious. When you take your next bite of our dark chocolate, perhaps you too will think of Costa Rica and be transported to Edwin’s garden.
From origin to indulgence
We have been sharing our passion for fresh chocolate for generations. Discover more about our history, our innovations, and the authentic artisanal skills of our chocolatiers.
About us
The Swiss Alps are our home, and we invite the world to indulge in our culinary heritage. Find out where we come from and why innovation is so important to us. And get to know the people behind Läderach.
Learn more
World Chocolate Master
Elias Läderach is the only Swiss chocolatier to have earned the title “World Chocolate Master.” Experience his award-winning creations and find out more about his latest projects.
Learn more
House of Läderach
A chocolate museum, a chocolate studio, chocolate events – the House of Läderach has it all, including a café, of course!. Discover the delights of freshly made chocolate in all of its facets – 364 days a year.
Visit now
Freshness
The exquisite taste of our chocolate creations is an affair of the heart for us. That’s why we make them fresh daily and get them to you as quickly as possible – so you can experience the freshness with all your senses.
Learn more