La Pandilla del Cacao is the chocolate squad of Del Conuco, and they started in the most unexpected place: a shelf in the Las Américas International Airport gift shop. Brown Buddy was hand-placed there by a Dominican cacao farmer. Dark Choco arrived from the processing line. Milk Choco came in a tourist-friendly box. White Choco showed up uninvited, as usual. Embajador was wrapped in tradition. Cacao Nibs bounced in last, literally. Oro Negro del Conuco.

The squad runs six deep. Brown Buddy is the leader, a whole cacao pod and the wise OG patriarch who knows every member of his squad came from him. Dark Choco is the intense one, sophisticated, mysterious, the intellectual who only listens to vinyl. Milk Choco is the sweet people-pleaser, the friendly crowd favorite who gets along with literally everyone. White Choco is the wild card who knows he’s “not real chocolate” and leans into it, mischievous, confident, and always showing up where he doesn’t belong. Embajador is the elder, a traditional Dominican chocolate de mesa bar who makes hot chocolate for the whole family. And Cacao Nibs is the baby, tiny, hyperactive, bouncing off everything, the youngest cousin who won’t sit still.

The Dominican Republic is one of the world’s top cacao-producing countries, and La Pandilla del Cacao honors that heritage. Every character in Del Conuco grows from the conuco, the traditional Taíno farm plot that connects the island’s agriculture to its identity. This squad represents the rich, smooth, indulgent side of Dominican culture. Dominican character apparel rooted in the land where cacao grows. El Sabor de la República Dominicana. Beyond Platano Power!