Does Chocolate Grow on Trees?
Chocolate doesn’t grow on trees, or does it? Wind Hill Growers went to the source- to Guatemala- and we want to share with you what we found. We learned how to harvest and open a cacao fruit, how the Maya used to drink their chocolate, and how to make chocolate with just two ingredients, among many other lessons!
The Cacao Tree
In Semuc Champey, John from Utopia Cacao Farms gave us a behind-the-scenes view of the cacao tree. It's an unusual fruit tree because it produces fruit 7-8 months out of the year. This is why the Mayans considered cacao to be a gift from the gods (because it's always producing).
The Cacao Pod
The cacao pod-from bud to harvest! In this video, John explains the the stages of growth for us- You can see the flowers, the tiny green pods, and the ripe orange/red pods, all growing together at the same time.
Then, Virgilio showed us the ropes on the best way to harvest- and open- the cacao fruit.
When you open the fruit of a cacao tree, the inside is white and a little slimy, with an apple aroma and a hint of vanilla. You can eat the pulp and even make wine with it!
Inside the Cacao Pod
Making Chocolate
Now, how do you go from pod to chocolate bar? We made a DIY video showing how easy it is to make chocolate at home with just 2 ingredients: cacao nibs and sugar. It's simple, and you can get creative with it- we added nuts, sea salt, and chili to ours, but the possibilities are endless.
Our Homemade Chocolates!
Before making the chocolate out of cacao nibs, there are a few steps to the process that are not included in this video. The first step involves harvesting the cacao fruit and taking the fruit out of the thick shell. Then, the fruit is fermented and dried, and the shell is taken off of the beans. What you are left with is the cacao nibs, which can be blended with sugar to make delicious homemade chocolate!
The Cacao Pod
Roasted Cacao Beans
And, you can make tea from the shells!
Shelling roasted cacao beans
Roasted Cacao Beans
Cacao Nibs
The Three C’s
We ended our trip on a high note, with plans for the release of our “Espresso Yourself” Goldbar, the perfect combo of cannabis, coffee, and cacao, using dark roast espresso beans from Café Don Lucas in Guatemala. In this video, as we taste some coffee from the highlands of Guatemala, Rodrigo tells us a bit about why he chose these beans for the new Goldbar.