A chocolate produced in Upala, Alajuela, has once again placed Costa Rican cacao among products recognized in an international competition. Maleku Chocolate, produced by Blue Valley Chocolate, received a bronze medal at the 2026 International Chocolate Awards, one of the best-known competitions specializing in artisan chocolate.

The award was given to the 70% Dark Chocolate, which received a score of 87.9 points in the Americas, Latin America and Caribbean competition. The result appears on the official list of winners of the International Chocolate Awards.

A Chocolate Made in Upala

Maleku Chocolate is the origin-focused chocolate line of Blue Valley Chocolate, a company that grows cacao and produces chocolate in Upala.

The cacao farm is located in Llano Azul de Upala, near Tenorio Volcano. According to the company, its chocolates are made using fine-flavor cacao grown organically and processed from the bean through to the finished chocolate bar.

The concept aims to highlight the characteristics of cacao produced in the region while maintaining a direct connection between cultivation, processing and the final product.

Recognition at the International Chocolate Awards

The International Chocolate Awards is an international competition dedicated to evaluating chocolate and cacao-based products.

In the 2026 Americas competition, the Maleku Chocolate 70% Dark Chocolate received the bronze medal with a score of 87.90 points. The product competed in the category for origin dark chocolate bars.

The recognition once again places a Costa Rican producer among the region’s outstanding chocolates.

The competition brought together products from various Latin American and Caribbean countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

A History of International Recognition

The 2026 award adds to a history of international recognition for Maleku Chocolate.

International Chocolate Awards records show that the brand had already received several awards in previous editions. In the 2018 Central American competition, for example, Maleku Chocolate Tenorio Dark 70% received a gold medal, while other varieties received silver and bronze medals.

The brand has also received recognition in categories including milk chocolate, chocolate with inclusions and drinking chocolate.

The company currently states that its chocolate line has received seven medals at the International Chocolate Awards and the Chocolate Fair.

Cacao as Part of the Region’s Identity

The project also has a cultural dimension. The Costa Rican Cultural Information System, managed by the Ministry of Culture and Youth, lists Maleku Chocolate as an initiative connected to traditional knowledge, beliefs and production practices.

The official profile places the activity in Canalete de Upala, Alajuela, and explains that the enterprise combines cacao production with tourism experiences where visitors can learn about the plantation and take part in traditional chocolate-making activities.

The company also connects its identity with the Maleku Indigenous people and the historical tradition of cacao in the region.

From Cacao Bean to Chocolate Bar

One of the distinguishing features of this type of production is the transformation process.

Blue Valley Chocolate explains that it uses fine-flavor cacao grown on its farm and that the process includes controlled fermentation and techniques designed to preserve the characteristics of the beans. The chocolate is subsequently produced within the company’s own operation.

This bean-to-bar approach allows producers to control different stages of the process and develop chocolates directly connected to the origin of their cacao.

Costa Rican Cacao Gains International Visibility

Maleku Chocolate’s recognition adds to other achievements highlighting the quality of cacao produced in Costa Rica.

In 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock reported that a cacao sample from a Costa Rican farm had been selected among the top 50 in the world during a stage of the Cacao of Excellence program. The selection was made from 191 samples representing 45 countries through physical and sensory evaluations.

The Ministry has also documented the growth of Costa Rican cacao businesses that have reached international markets. One recent example is an enterprise from Bananito Sur, Limón, whose fine-flavor cacao has reached countries including Japan, Ukraine, Germany, the Netherlands, England and Canada.

These cases demonstrate the potential of high-quality cacao production to create new commercial opportunities and bring Costa Rican products to international markets.

A Product Connected to Tourism

Chocolate has also become a way to develop tourism experiences connected to agriculture and gastronomy.

The Ministry of Culture’s official profile states that Maleku Chocolate welcomes visitors interested in discovering the plantation and taking part in activities related to traditional chocolate production.

These experiences connect several elements of the territory: agriculture, gastronomy, nature and cultural traditions.

The company also states that its products are available through tourism businesses and that it maintains commercial activities aimed at international markets.

A Product Combining Territory, Tradition and Innovation

The international recognition received in 2026 highlights a product that brings together several characteristics of Costa Rican production: origin cacao, local processing, rural entrepreneurship and a growing connection with tourism.

For Upala, initiatives of this kind also provide an opportunity to increase the visibility of the region’s agricultural and gastronomic production.

The award does not simply distinguish a chocolate bar; it also helps showcase the potential of Costa Rican cacao-based products internationally.

Another Distinction for Costa Rican Chocolate

With its bronze medal at the 2026 International Chocolate Awards, Maleku Chocolate 70% Dark Chocolate joins the list of Costa Rican products recognized at specialized international competitions.

From a farm in Upala, the project continues to develop a model combining cacao production, artisan chocolate-making, tourism and the promotion of the region.

The story of Maleku Chocolate shows how a traditional product can also become an opportunity to support local entrepreneurship and bring the flavors of a Costa Rican region to new markets.

Official and Technical Sources

Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG): information on Costa Rican cacao, its quality and presence in international markets.

Ministry of Culture and Youth – Costa Rican Cultural Information System: official information on Maleku Chocolate and its connection to traditional production and cultural tourism.

International Chocolate Awards: official results of the 2026 Americas, Latin America and Caribbean competition, where Maleku Chocolate received the bronze medal.

Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT): institutional information on gastronomy, tourism and traditional products from the Northern Plains region.