The Paraguayan brand Tatakua has returned from the 2026 World Alfajor Championship in Buenos Aires with three medals. The company’s dark chocolate alfajor, a traditional South American confection, was recognised with gold for Best Packaging, silver for Best Simple Alfajor, and bronze for Best Dark Chocolate Coating. Tatakua was the only Paraguayan brand to receive an award at this year’s event.
The competition was fierce, with over 450 samples submitted by 120 brands from 11 different countries. Despite the strong field, Tatakua’s single product managed to secure a place on the podium in three separate categories.
What is an alfajor?
An alfajor is a traditional Latin American confection consisting of two or more biscuit or cookie layers. The biscuits are filled with dulce de leche (a rich caramel-like spread) or other sweet fillings. The exterior is often coated in chocolate or a sugary glaze. Alfajores are a sweet treat, similar in concept to a sandwich biscuit or a layered confection. The alfajor is enjoyed for its sweet, indulgent flavour and creamy filling.
Alfajores are different from macarons, which are meringue-based cookies (with almond flour) and filled with ganache, buttercream, or jam.
“Enormous meaning”
For the 2026 Alfajor World Championship, Tatakua presented four of its flavours for judging: dark chocolate, white chocolate, cappuccino, and the Alfabrownie. Ultimately, it was the dark chocolate variety that captured the attention of the judges and won all three of the brand’s accolades.
“To return to Paraguay with three medals has enormous meaning for us,” the brand responded. “In 2024, we already experienced the joy of receiving the recognition for Best Packaging, and to come back this year and win gold in that category again is very special. But this edition also has another value: our alfajor was also recognised.”
A history of success
This year’s gold medal for Best Packaging continues a history of success for Tatakua at the championship. The brand previously won the top prize in the same category in 2024. However, this year’s event marked a new milestone, as the product itself was also recognised for its quality with the silver and bronze medals.
Consequently, the dark chocolate alfajor was honoured for three key dimensions of its offering: its presentation, the overall quality of the confection, and its specific chocolate coating. Also, per TastleAtlas, the best alfajor from Paraguay in 2025 was the Mega Alfanut Blanco from Tatakua.
