Answer: Eskimo Pies

In the 1920s, two things that appear entirely unrelated on the surface intersected in a rather curious way. The economy of Ecuador was seriously depressed and in need of a massive infusion of capital. At the same time in America, the Eskimo Pie was invented; an ice cream treat covered in chocolate.

The Eskimo Pie and derivative treats proved to be incredibly popular with Americans, and by 1922 they were consuming a million Eskimo Pies a day. The surge in demand for chocolate driven by the Eskimo Pie craze pushed up global cocoa prices around 50% and Ecuador, the world’s largest cocoa exporter at the time, received a huge influx of money that lifted the entire country out of a depression.