Saturday, August 16, 2014

The Cacao Journey Begins




...that unexpected meeting that changes your life.  

How it began...  I was in conversation with a dear friend and mentioned how I wish I could find that gig that allowed me to meet wonderful people from all over the world, that had elements of intrigue, sexy, and doing good all wrapped into one.  This is how I came to be introduced to Rich & Carolyn.  This blog is about their story, the story of Costa Rican Cacao, its farmers/tribes, and how I got the gig with all yumminess I was looking for.

But first, this is an excerpt from Rich & Carolyn who live in Costa Rica:

Our family’s interest in traveling to Costa Rica began when our parents retired and moved to Puerto Viejo near the Talamanca mountains by the Caribbean Sea.  Mother Nancy, a professional artist and father Barry a degreed engineer, soon began a not-for-profit soup kitchen called “El Puente” (The Bridge)  to help  indigenous the Bri-Bri who were in need of support.
During one vacation to Puerto Viejo, we discovered   ”cacao trees” in the nearby orchard. Our neighbor, nine year old,  Siriana enthusiastically showed us how to make chocolate from the beans of a cacao pod we had dried in the sun, and simple ingredients of maple syrup and powdered milk  from the kitchen!
We became interested in learning more about chocolate and the history of cocoa in the Talamanca region. We were fascinated by stories told to us about cocoa, by tribal members, locals, and people who had planted and harvested cacao for generations in this area.  
The more we learned and the more we visited the beautiful  Puerto Viejo Talamanca by the sea,  the more we dreamed of helping the community, creating opportunities  for local farmers and people needing work.  We also began to discover the beauty and nutritional benefits of cocoa and why cacao from the Talamanca Region of Costa Rica is uniquely special! 
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After becoming established there the work began to find markets for the cacao beans that was already being farmed, and to save the existing farms from developers.  Our goal is to raise the standard of living for the farmers we work with and purchase more cacao farm land that is falling prey to developers. We want to preserve what is left of this precious indigenous food. We will be sharing more stories that connect you, the chocolate maker, to the bean growing process.  When you use our beans, this blog will become a resource for you and allow you to tell your bean-to-bar story.
Rich & Carolyn are in Costa Rica and I am here in the middle of the United States to work with you.
From Pod to Fermentation Process






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