Start from ice cream mixed with truffle to sandwiches coated in gold, various types of snacks and sweets in this world are diverse and expensive. Although most of them are designed to attract attention, some choose to use very expensive ingredients. One example is the Ecuadorian chocolate brand, To'ak, which claims that its products fall into the category of rare products. To'ak chocolate is made from rare Nacional cocoa, which is only harvested from 14 plantations in the Piedra de Plata valley, Ecuador. This makes To'ak chocolate recognized as one of the most valuable chocolates in the world.

To'ak is known as the most expensive chocolate in the world because of its rare main ingredient. Although whether the price can be fully justified or not depends on consumer perception, technically, it is indeed true. A small piece of To'ak chocolate can be sold for up to $490 (around Rp. 7,958,286) for a weight of 50 grams. However, the company believes that by focusing on quality alone, the high price cannot fully tell the To'ak story.

So, what makes To'ak so special that people are willing to spend hundreds of dollars just to buy a small piece of chocolate? This is not related to just one factor, but involves a series of interconnected factors. First and foremost, the company exclusively uses the best national cocoa, which is an ancient cocoa variety that was classified as extinct in 2009. The team behind To'ak was fortunate enough to discover some of the oldest cocoa plantations in the world, located in the Piedra de Plata Valley. Through DNA analysis, some of these have been confirmed to be 100% national cocoa.

To'ak has conducted experiments using various aging techniques by placing chocolate in various types of barrels, including former cognac, whisky, and Ecuadorian wood containers, for different periods of time. To'ak chocolate can be stored in these barrels for several months, even up to eight years. In addition, To'ak also blends its chocolate with aroma ingredients such as Kampot pepper from Cambodia, Palo Santo wood from Ecuador, or Galapagos oranges. The company continues to experiment with new methods to enhance the taste of their chocolate.