Baby it’s cold outside isn’t just a song, and I am not even sure that is the actual name of the song, but it’s pretty chilly here in Chicago. I know my blood has thickened up again (after my 8 year hiatus in Austin, Texas) for the brisk winters, because when I ran errands this morning and I thought to myself how nice it was out.  It was 3 degrees F!  Coat was unzipped, no gloves and the sun was shining with no wind.  The day is what you make of it. I headed for Trader Joe’s grocery store where they sell Barry Callebaut chocolate for absurdly low prices under their private label and purchased $20 worth of chocolate.  Just sitting down to drink my Caribbean Hot Chocolate that I prepared with my 85% chocolate bar.  Thought I would share some tidbits with you about the Caribbean and chocolate/cocoa while I enjoy my Caribbean Hot Chocolate and dreaming about the gorgeous beaches of the islands. I am also going to be more proper in my Theobroma cacao terminology from now on and will be using the proper term of cacao rather than cocoa so everyone will be on the same page.

Map of the Caribbean

The Spanish Capuchin friars who grew criollo cacao in Ecuador in about 1635, previously there had been little success growing Theobroma cacao in any of the Spanish Caribbean territories.

As the need for chocolate in Europe increased, France introduced cacao to Martinique and St Lucia in 1660, the Dominican Republic in 1665, and Grenada in 1714.

The Dutch had taken over cacao plantations in Curaçao after they seized the island in 1620.

England had Theobroma cacao growing in Jamaica by 1670.

The share of the cacao market in the Caribbean is quite small compared to other countries.

The Dominican Republic produces the most cacao beans in the Caribbean islands, but only represents about 2% of the world’s prodcution.

Other Caribbean producers of the cacao bean include Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada.

Cacao beans from Trinidad and Tobago have a cinnamon spiciness with a complex fruitiness. Very well-balanced.

Cacao beans from Jamaica have notes of pineapple and are rather bright and fruity with appealing aromas. The cacao beans are complex and well-balanced.

Dominican Republic’s cacao beans possess a deep earthy flavor with fragrant tobacco notes. Some of the cacao beans have delicate red wine and spice notes too.

Grenada Chocolate Company Organic Dark Chocolate Bar

The Grenada Chocolate Company is an organic Trinitario cacao plantation and chocolate maker’s cooperative.  They are small scale growing on 150 acres and are also completely environmentally friendly using solar power.  I like that they are tree to bar with no one in between!  Rococo Chocolates works in collaboration with The Grenada Chocolate Company to make their famous house blend.

Rococo Chocolate's Orange & Geranium Organic Dark Chocolate Bee Bar

Hotel Chocolate owns the Rabot Estate Cacao Planation in St. Lucia.   They actually have a hotel when you can stay ont he estate called simply The Hotel. The cocoa trees of Rabot Estate are primarily Trinitario Theobroma cacao species rich in Criollo genes.

Some of the other chocolate makers and chocolatiers using cacao beans or chocolate from the Caribbean include Amano Chocolate, Valrhona Chocolate and Michel Cluizel Chocolate.

Caribbean Hot Chocolate

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
4½ oz (125g) dark chocolate (70% or higher cocoa content), grated
2 cups (500ml) whole milk (cream for complete decadence and for my vegan friends almond milk is fabulous!), divided
2 tbsp raw sugar
½ egg yolk
½ vanilla pod
½ cinnamon stick
pinch ground nutmeg

Directions:
Mix grated chocolate, raw sugar, egg yolk and ¼ cup milk in small bowl. Split the vanilla pod. Put vanilla pod, pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon stick in a heavy saucepan with remaining milk. Bring to a simmer. Slowly pour chocolate mixture from bowl into saucepan while stirring with whisk. Remove from stove. Continue stirring until thick. Serve immediately.

Caribbean Hot Chocolate

I bid you creamy, thick Caribbean Hot Chocolate and warm sunny beaches!

Annmarie Kostyk

Mayan Indian Art Work

Theobroma cacao is indigenous to Central America as it falls in the cocoa belt which is an area where the chocolate tree prefers to grow and flourish. The cocoa belt falls exactly twenty degrees both north and south of the equator. Theobroma cacao can grow in other areas, but it will not flower. No flowers mean no cocoa pods. It is believed that the cacao has been grown in the country of Belize for over 3,000 years. Actual farming began in the year 250 BCE. Today, cacao is still grown by the Mayan Indians (yes there are still Mayan Indians) in the Toledo area of Belize. Interestingly enough, Hershey’s, a United States company, is working with them along with the United States government for commercial export.

Green and Black's Mayan Gold Chocolate Bar

Green and Black’s, a company of the United Kingdom, was the first to export organic cocoa out of the Belize in 1992. It was the first Free Trade commodity in the United Kingdom. Green and Black’s sold the cocoa under the label of Mayan Black. Since then the growth of cacao has diminished due to lack of government subsidies for cacao, high-cost production, improvement of job opportunities in other sectors and the damaged from Hurricane Iris in 2001 that virtually wiped out Theobroma cacao.

Map of Costa Rica

Another country producing substantial amounts of cacao was Costa Rica. Theobroma cacao was brought to Costa Rica in the 1800s by the Jamaican workers who were working on the railroads and were already successfully growing cacao. Costa Rica already had large crops of banana trees which were perfect cover trees for the Theobroma cacao as the cacao likes to be shaded from direct sunlight. The cacao plantations thrived and cacao farmers prospered. In the 1960s, pod rot hit the entire country of Costa Rica resulting in the loss of 95% of the country’s cacao.

Painting of Theobroma cacao

From the 16^th century through the end of World War I, the farming of Theobroma cacao was dominate in the Caribbean islands. During this time, the islands producing the most cacao were Jamaica, Trinidad and the Windward Islands which include Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, the Grenadines and Grenada. After that time, West Africa took over as the leaders in cocoa production.

Spaniards and Cacao

Theobroma cacao was introduced to the Caribbean islands by the Spanish in the early 16^th century. The Spaniards brought the tree from Venezuela and records indicate that the first planting of Theobroma cacao was in Trinidad. There is a rumor that the British burned a ship to the ground in the late 16^th century thinking the cocoa beans were sheep’s droppings. Oops! At the turn of the 17^th century, Spanish physicians noted the medicinal qualities present in chocolate, many of which are still alive today, and chocolate as medicine was brought into England. Cocoa demand increased.

Raw Cocoa Beans

Venezuela was the largest producer of cacao in the 18^th century. The Caribbean began to increase cacao in both the amount of trees they were growing as well as the amount of cocoa beans they were exporting. Spain tried to prohibit the export of the Venezuelan raw cocoa beans to create a monopoly. From 1728 through 1780, they succeeded. A group of Spanish noblemen controlled the entire Venezuelan crop of cocoa. Cocoa started coming from the Caribbean and other countries, mostly illegally, during this time. Privateers flourished in these years basically taking over control of the cocoa trade which some say lasted until the 18^th century. Pirate ships were seen all over the Caribbean waters making a lucrative living bringing cocoa to Europe. A lot of the ships carrying cocoa were often either seized or burned to gain control of the cocoa trafficking. People wanted their cocoa.

Europeans Drinking Cocoa