From January to November 2018, Brazilian confectionery sales to the foreign market grew compared to 2017.

Certainly there were plenty of traditional sweets for candy lovers to sample and enjoy. Still, it was clear that more fruit, more indulgent chocolate, more whimsy, more intensity, more color and more authenticity permeated the show displays.

What many people don't know is that Brazil's unique offering of exotic flavors, combined with its competitive position as one of the few countries self-sufficient in producing milk and sugarcane, has placed the country among the major global players in the confectionery industry.

With an industrial culture that favors private labeling as well as increasingly popular native fruits, Brazil is poised to keep expanding its influence in the confectionery industry.

This most recent trip satisfied not only my curiosity about the region; it revealed the country’s inner soul.

Samantha Aquim, from Aquim Gastronomia, continues to help run the family catering business in Rio de Janeiro as a gourmet chef. In addition, she also continues to draw upon her education reading and researching therapy.

The first thing you notice about the Santa Helena plant in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil is the amazing smell of fresh peanuts roasting.

Chocolate makers help farmers grow sustainable cocoa in the Amazon, and reclaim Brazil’s rightful place in the world ranking of cocoa suppliers.