Meet The Panelist Jose Arturo Maldonado

Meet The Panelist Jose Arturo Maldonado of SaQua Chocolate, Ecuador

To request for video recording - https://forms.gle/hFATB5smGxSZnozb7

Our next webinar on "Empowering Chocopreneurs©" webinar series is a panel discussion on the effects of recipe and process on equipment. We, at CocoaTown, have assembled a group of accomplished chocolate makers from around the world to share their tips on this topic.

One of the panel members is Jose Arturo Maldonado of SaQua, Ecuador.

Born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Jose Arturo Maldonado of SaQua Chocolate got into the cocoa world in 2013 when he was doing financial research, comparing productivity and profitability between the two major cocoa varieties in Ecuador. Through his research he got to know the cocoa farmers of Ecuador and the problems they faced and opportunities they would be able to obtain if they received the proper education and equipment. They were working without knowing the real quality of their product, whether good or bad.

 
He started studying in the field with big farms, such as Hacienda Victoria and Hacienda El Castillo, and also farmers Associations such as UNOCACE. He learned how different processes in different stages of post harvest can affect the final product.

Jose provides consultation services on chocolate making, bean to bar small batch production, formulating and producing personalized products to small and medium farmers from around Ecuador. That led to the creation of SaQua brand, a family business dedicated to the artisan production of organic cocoa derivatives.

He works to promote the consumption of true, rustic-ancestral chocolate and works to continue to grow his knowledge about the equipment suited to small batch bean to bar production and began to distribute CocoaTown equipment in Ecuador.

He has spent many hours experimenting with flavors, origins, mixed products, sweeteners, and butters and has a generous willingness to share his knowledge to help better the industry for farmers and chocolate makers alike.

Jose and the rest of the panelists will answer the questions like...How do you manage different sweeteners? And how do they affect the process?