Discovering Ecuador’s Hidden Treasures: Guayusa, Dragon’s Blood & Beyond
In short: Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, and cacao is only part of its story. Beyond Arriba Nacional cacao, it is home to guayusa tea, Dragon’s Blood resin, rare stingless bee honey and speciality Amazonian coffee, many treasured locally for generations but still relatively unknown in the UK.
When people think of Ecuador, cacao often comes to mind. And rightly so as Ecuador is home to Arriba Nacional, one of the world’s most celebrated heirloom cacao varieties and the foundation of truly exceptional chocolate and ceremonial cacao. But spend time in Ecuador and you quickly discover that cacao is only part of the story.
Beyond the cacao farms lies an extraordinary world of natural ingredients, many treasured locally for generations yet still relatively unknown in the UK. From guayusa tea and Dragon’s Blood resin to rare stingless bee honey and speciality Amazonian coffee, Ecuador is home to a remarkable diversity of plants, traditions and flavours that deserve to be discovered.
A Country Rich in Biodiversity
Despite being one of South America’s smaller countries, Ecuador is recognised as one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.
Within its borders, the landscape shifts dramatically - from Amazon rainforest and cloud forest to the high Andes and Pacific coastline. This extraordinary range of ecosystems supports thousands of plant and animal species, explaining why Ecuador produces such distinctive agricultural products.
While many countries become known for a handful of famous exports, Ecuador’s remarkable biodiversity has given rise to an abundance of unique ingredients, crops and traditions - many of which remain little known beyond its borders.
We think that cacao is only the beginning…
Long before energy drinks and speciality coffee became part of everyday life, families across the Ecuadorian Amazon were gathering before sunrise to drink guayusa.
Made from the leaves of the Ilex guayusa tree, this traditional Amazonian tea has been enjoyed for generations and remains deeply woven into daily life in many Indigenous communities. Traditionally shared in the early hours of the morning, guayusa became known as ‘The Night Watchman’ - a companion for those beginning their day before the sun had risen.
Today, guayusa is slowly finding an audience beyond Ecuador. Its naturally occurring caffeine, smooth flavour and deep cultural heritage make it a fascinating alternative to coffee and conventional tea.
Yet despite its growing recognition, guayusa remains one of Ecuador’s best-kept secrets.
Few of Ecuador’s natural treasures attract as much curiosity as Dragon’s Blood.
Sustainably collected from the Croton lechleri tree, this remarkable resin emerges from the bark as a vivid crimson liquid - making it immediately clear how it earned its extraordinary name.
For generations, Indigenous communities throughout Ecuador and Peru have valued Dragon’s Blood as part of their traditional practices, passing down knowledge of the resin and its uses from one generation to the next.
Today, it continues to fascinate those discovering the traditional botanicals of the Amazon - a striking example of the extraordinary biodiversity hidden within the rainforest.
Perhaps one of Ecuador’s most surprising natural treasures comes from its tiny stingless bees.
Native to the region, these remarkable pollinators play an important role in the ecosystems around them. Unlike conventional honey bees, they produce only small quantities of honey each year, making every harvest naturally rare.
HASA - Hospital de Abejas Sin Aguijón - is dedicated to protecting Ecuador’s native stingless bees, combining conservation with responsible beekeeping and sustainable honey production.
The result is a honey quite unlike anything you’ll find on a supermarket shelf - distinctive, naturally scarce and connected to a much bigger story of biodiversity, conservation and the protection of Ecuador’s native pollinators.
Coffee might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Ecuador - but Witoca is helping to change that.
Grown within the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve, Witoca’s Fine Robusta coffee comes from farming communities working with traditional Chakra agroforestry systems, where coffee grows as part of a diverse and thriving landscape.
Far removed from intensive monoculture plantations, this approach works with the surrounding ecosystem while producing coffee with distinctive, complex flavour profiles.
The result is Amazonian specialty coffee that challenges everything you thought you knew about Robusta.
Frequently asked questions
A traditional Amazonian tea made from the leaves of the Ilex guayusa tree. It has naturally occurring caffeine and a smooth flavour, which makes it an alternative to coffee and conventional tea.
A vivid crimson resin sustainably collected from the bark of the Croton lechleri tree. Indigenous communities in Ecuador and Peru have valued it in their traditional practices for generations.
Honey made by Ecuador’s native stingless bees. They produce only small quantities each year, so every harvest is naturally rare. Pachakuti’s comes from HASA, which protects these bees through conservation and responsible beekeeping.
In the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon, by farming communities using traditional Chakra agroforestry systems.