Holy Cacao!! Chocolate Starts Here

Naranjal's Cacao Picker

Heading south from Guayaquil, one finds very productive soil and very industrious people . . . and the result of the land and their hard work is an ambrosia of the Gods, chocolate!  Despite claims from some in Europe and Greece, our favorite food group was actually invented by South American natives centuries ago.  We had a great lesson in the process of growing and producing cacao from our new friends in Naranjal, Jimmy and Gina Chica.  As we were driving through town, we pulled over to take a photo of the cacao statue in el centro. Shelly started up a conversation with Jimmy . . . before we knew it, we were off visiting their cacao plantation and learning all about the process of growing cacao and getting it off to market.  Tough work for a wonderful result!!

New friends Jimmy and Gina Chica

Jimmy's lesson in cacao pods

Open and taste---sweet moist fruit covers the seeds

Cacao orchard

Separating the seeds from pods; messy smelly work

Jimmy explains the solar drying process 

Raking the seeds to get even drying

Cacao beans

Drying bins, heated by gas burners

Our hosts and new friends, Jimmy and Gina

Discussing the economics of cacao with Jimmy

Shelly gets her own cacao tree
to start her new chocolate company 

and the delicious result, Ecuadorian chocolate!!!