Chocolates El Rey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids  |
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Chocolate |
| Founded | Caracas, Venezuela (1929) |
| Founder | Jose Rafael Zozaya, Carmelo Tuozzo |
| Headquarters | Caracas, Venezuela |
|
Area served
|
Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Curaçao, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain, U.S., Venezuela |
|
Key people
|
Jorge Redmond S. (President/CEO) Carlos Solís (Export Manager) Rand Turner (President C.E.R inc U.S.) Keita Suzuki (President C.E.R Japan) |
Chocolates El Rey is a famous chocolate company from Venezuela. They make delicious chocolate using only the best ingredients grown right there in Venezuela. It's a family business and one of the oldest chocolate makers in the country!
Contents
Working Fairly with Cacao Farmers
El Rey makes special chocolate from cacao beans that are traded fairly. They buy these beans directly from farmers in Venezuela. This means farmers get a good price for their hard work.
El Rey created a group called Aprocao. This group helps farmers sell their cacao without needing extra people (sometimes called "coyotes") who might pay very low prices. Aprocao makes sure farmers get more than the usual market price for their cacao beans.
Through Aprocao, El Rey also teaches farmers important things. They learn how to take care of their soil in a natural way. This means using no chemical pesticides or fertilizers. They also learn how to prepare the cacao beans after harvesting them. This helps the beans taste their best and get the highest price.
A Sweet History of Chocolates El Rey
Chocolates El Rey has a long and interesting history. Here are some key moments:
Becoming Chocolates El Rey
- 1973 - The Zozaya and Redmond families joined together. The company became a public company and changed its name to Chocolates El Rey, C.A. This is the same name as the chocolate products they make.
- 1974 - The company improved its chocolate-making technology. They started selling more cacao products, like cacao liquor and cacao butter, to other countries.
Challenges and Changes
- 1975 - The Venezuelan government took control of selling cacao in Venezuela. This made it harder for companies like El Rey to sell cacao around the world.
- 1979 - El Rey started building a new factory in Cumaná, a city in Sucre state. Cumaná produced a lot of Venezuela's cacao back then.
- 1980 - The government changed rules about cacao prices. This made it better to export raw cacao beans. So, El Rey had to stop exporting and focus only on selling chocolate inside Venezuela.
Growing and Going Global Again
- 1989 - After some years of steady but slow growth, El Rey reacted quickly to new government plans. Venezuela wanted to become more involved in the world economy. El Rey started exporting again, focusing on the special qualities of Venezuelan cacao.
- 1995 - A brand new factory opened in Barquisimeto, in Lara state. All the chocolate making moved there. This year also marked the start of El Rey's first exports to the United States.
- 1997 - El Rey launched products for everyday shoppers. They also started exporting chocolate to Colombia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Curaçao, and Aruba.
- 1998 - Chocolates El Rey began exporting their delicious chocolate all the way to Japan.
- 1999 - The company explored the Venezuelan market with a new line of candy products.
- 2001 - Chocolates El Rey received the ISO-9002 certification. This award shows that the company meets very high quality standards for its products.
Amazing Types of Venezuelan Cacao
Cacao beans are what chocolate is made from! Venezuela is home to some very special types of cacao.
* This type of cacao grows in America, especially in the foothills of the Venezuelan Andes mountains. * Criollo cacao is known for having the best flavor and smell. * Long ago, Criollo cacao traveled north to Central America. Spanish explorers then took it across the world to places like Asia. * Today, Criollo cacao is rare. It's in danger of being replaced by other types that grow faster or resist diseases better. * Criollo pods often have deep ridges and bumpy skin. Inside, the beans can be white or pink. * When prepared correctly, Criollo beans dry to a tan color and smell strongly of chocolate. * Chocolate experts love Venezuelan Criollo cacao. It's not bitter and has a pure, lasting chocolate taste.
- Forastero
* This cacao grows in the Amazon region. * Forastero cacao is strong and can resist diseases well. * When you cut open Forastero beans, they are a deep purple color. This color comes from things that can make the beans taste bitter or sour. * Today, Forastero is the most common cacao used in big cacao plantations in Africa, Asia, and Brazil.
- Trinitario
* This type of cacao was first found on the island of Trinidad. It's a mix between Forastero and Criollo cacao. * Since the 1700s, Trinitario cacao has grown in Eastern Venezuela. It sells for a high price in the world cacao market.
See also
In Spanish: Chocolates El Rey para niños
