Cacao Laboratory
Cacao Laboratory is a New York cacao brand created by siblings Florencia and Federico Fridman. It approaches cacao as a drink to prepare and share, with attention to origin and texture. Its Arriba Nacional paste is a single-ingredient cacao block sourced from Ecuador.
Cacao Laboratory: origin & history.
Florencia and Federico Fridman grew up in Bariloche, Argentina, a town known for chocolate. After Florencia encountered cacao drinks during a 2016 visit to Guatemala, she took the idea to her brother in New York. Cacao Laboratory was established in 2017, combining their different backgrounds around cacao sourcing, preparation and sharing. New York is the brand’s place of creation; their Argentine upbringing and the Ecuadorian origin of the Arriba Nacional cacao tell different parts of the story. The pure paste sits alongside flavoured blends, offering a direct way to explore the base ingredient before adding anything else.
Read the official history ↗︎- Country of origin
- New York · United States ↗︎
- History
- 2017
- Founder / documented history
- Federico Fridman & Florencia Fridman
- Product world
- Rituals to sip ↗︎
Discover the Cacao Laboratory selection.
A few pieces tell the story in their own way, through a shape, a material or a familiar gesture.
Arriba Nacional Cacao Paste · 2.2 lb →
This single pack contains 2.2 lb, approximately 1 kg, of Arriba Nacional cacao paste from Manabí, Ecuador. The cacao beans are fermented and toasted before becoming the solid paste, which retains the cacao’s own fats. There is no added sugar or flavouring in this 100% cacao version. Chop or grate a portion, add hot water just below boiling and blend thoroughly with a whisk, frother or blender. The brand uses approximately 28 g as one preparation example. Naturally occurring fat can leave pale marks on the surface, known as bloom. Cacao contains theobromine and some caffeine. This is the single large pack, not the ten-pack bulk option.
Air Element — Hibiscus & Cardamom Cacao, 100 g →
Cacao Laboratory’s Air Element adds hibiscus and cardamom to cacao paste from Manabí, Ecuador. The floral and warming spice notes change the cup while retaining the cacao’s natural fat, unlike a defatted cocoa powder. Chop or grate part of the 100 g bar, then blend thoroughly with hot water or a tea infusion using a whisk, frother or blender. A pale layer can form when the fat separates from the solids, a process the maker describes as blooming. The ingredient list is simply cacao, hibiscus and cardamom.
A closer look.
What catches our eye.
The distinction is between cacao as a base ingredient and a ready-sweetened hot-chocolate mix. Its richness, preparation and large format suit someone who enjoys making the drink rather than only opening a sachet.
Where does Cacao Laboratory come from?
Cacao Laboratory is a brand of United States origin. This describes where the brand began; individual products may be made elsewhere.
Discover more brands from United States →Where can I buy Cacao Laboratory?
Where to find Cacao Laboratory.
Official website ↗︎Delivery and store links checked 2026-10-27. Check the official site for subsequent changes.
Sources & image credits
Editorial product selection, not a bestseller ranking.
Editorial reviewed 2026-10-27. Design perspectives express the Selezio editorial view.
Official brand imagery · Cacao Laboratory