In Peru, a celebrated chocolate bar is now the best in the world

The El Ganso 70% chocolate bar was awarded the top prize at the 2025 International Chocolate Awards. 

Crafted by Cacaosuyo using cacao from Junin, the bar was named the overall winner at this year’s global competition.

Known informally as the “Chocolate Oscars,” the International Chocolate Awards are organised by a global network of specialists in cacao, gastronomy, and sensory analysis. The competition follows a regional format, with the Latin American round held in April and the final event taking place in Florence, Italy.

“On a personal level, having created a chocolate that has been recognised as the best in the world is an immense joy, because the idea and the whole concept of cacao came from the very beginning. The goal was to present Peruvian cacao to the world through our chocolate,” said Samir Giha, founder of Theobroma Inversiones and creator of the Cacaosuyo brand.

“I decided to make chocolate 12 years ago because it was something I was passionate about. I loved chocolate, and my daughters and I would talk about creating something nutritious but also delicious and sweet,” he told Viory.

Cacaosuyo has received consistent recognition in recent years. Its dark chocolate bars from Amazonas, Cusco, and Piura have earned World Gold for four consecutive years. The Piura Milk bar has also won five World Gold awards, including one for best milk chocolate.

In this year’s final, the El Ganso 70% bar outperformed entries from Europe, Africa, and Asia. The 2025 competition saw over 3,500 chocolate samples submitted from across the world. Latin American producers were well represented, with at least ten countries participating.