Paraguayan cuisine gained a new expression with the launch of a chocolate that incorporates traditional flavors like chipa pirú and yerba mate. The company Barroco Chocolate, with 13 years of experience working with Belgian chocolate, developed the product which also combines peanuts, dulce de leche, and Paraguayan caramel.
Owner Gilda Balsevich stated that the idea was to create "something with Paraguayan identity." The innovation caught the attention of the Embassy of Taiwan in Paraguay, which promoted the chocolate on its social media.
The product's development had technical support from the Reinventa 2026 program, an initiative of the Vice Ministry of MSMEs with support from the Taiwan Technical Mission. Barroco Chocolate was one of eight micro and small businesses selected to receive specialized assistance in innovation and value addition.
Balsevich explained that the technical guidance allowed the company to advance projects that were already in development but faced typical micro-enterprise limitations in human, financial, and technical resources. The Taiwanese cooperation aims to help local businesses turn ideas into marketable proposals.