Patti had suggested that we visit this chocolate production hacienda and we were really glad we did. A Mexicano gave us a private tour and explained how they make chocolate starting with the planting of the trees in the jungle, what a cacao pod looks like,
how they are picked, cleaned, dried, and processed into cocoa powder and cocoa butter. He also showed us the other kinds of trees that grow with the cacao, such as cinnamon and coffee, and vanilla that grows on a vine.
Many of these other flavours are blended with the cocoa to make different flavours.
We ground together cacao, cinnamon, sugar and a pimento with a hand grinder and had a chance to taste it. Delicious!
We bought a delicious chocolate bar that we later shared with our hosts.
