Amid the media hype over fears of a worldwide shortage of cocoa caused by surging chocolate consumption in emerging markets like India, China and Brazil, how are chocolate industry leaders addressing sustainability issues in the global supply chain? In their… Read More ›
Although the Basque Country has a strong history in chocolate-making, there are today very few artisan chocolatiers of Basque origin, let alone chocolatiers who make their own chocolate, from bean-to-bar. A century ago, nearly every chocolate craftsman would have made… Read More ›
I thought that I would share these two drawings that show the early stages of cocoa consumption. What I finding amazing about both of these drawings, are their similarities, and it really shows how the Spanish were influenced by the… Read More ›
Who would have thought of the Basque Country as one of the first places in Europe to be home to chocolate-making as we know it today? Surprisingly, this aspect of the region’s rich heritage is only beginning to receive recognition…. Read More ›
All good things come to an end. Now it is time for me to return to Europe. But rest assured! It is not the end of the cocoa trail! It is going to swiftly lead into the chocolate trail. With… Read More ›
The pruning of cacao trees is essential in the management of a cacao field. When done efficiently, pruning helps to increase the tree’s productivity. Pruning generally takes place twice a year. The first pruning takes place just after the main… Read More ›
The last few weeks of my cocoa trail are spent at the Ecuadorean government’s agricultural research institute INIAP, an acronym which stands for Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias. INIAP was founded in 1959 to find ways of improving sustainability and… Read More ›
After several months learning about the intricacies of Peru’s cacao production and the producer-supply chain, I decided it was time to discover another Latin American country renowned for its fine-flavoured and aromatic cocoa beans: Ecuador. Ecuador, unlike Peru, has a… Read More ›
Immediately after the “Salon de Cacao y Chocolate”, I was invited by the organising committee to visit the area where one of Peru’s rarest cacao varieties is grown. This special variety is a member of the Forastero del Alto Amazonas… Read More ›
The other day I was fortunate enough to be able to join a group of agricultural students to develop my sensory skills for the tasting of cacao liquor as well as the ability to identify how well the beans have… Read More ›
