Future Discover Chocolate In ... Travel Programs - Where To?

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Permalink Reply by Walter Plante on March 13, 2011 at 7:44am

Peru would be of interest since it has only recently started to revitalize its chocolate industry and it is relatively unexplored.  Of course there is always Machu Picchu, one of the must-see wonders of the world, if the location is

convenient to the cacao plantations.

Permalink Reply by Clay Gordon on March 13, 2011 at 3:10pm

Peru is a very interesting country for many reasons - not least for the reasons you mention. I have not been, but did make connections at the government ministry level when I was in Bolivia in November. While I probably would not include the trip to Machu Picchu as a formal part of the trip, I would offer it as a supplement for people who wanted to visit.

Permalink Reply by Casandra Hutchinson on April 26, 2012 at 2:42pm

Clay (and all),

I would love to invite you all to Peru. I currently work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Buenos Aires, Piura which is at the extreme north of the country. I work with a group of cacao growers with 55 hectares of what they call Criollo Cacao (40% blanco 60& violeta). All of their cacao is organic and free trade. Although I only work with one organization, I can also help put you in contact with other groups in the region. Lately, the Piura's cacao has been making headlines, so I thought perhaps you'd all like to come visit. 

I'm helping organiz a mini-Cacao Fair in Piura in the 3rd week June, and APPCACAO is organizing a giant Salon de Chocolate y Cacao in Lima for the 1st week of July. (http://www.salondelcacaoychocolate.pe/)

I'm also more than happy to help with any issues regarding logistics (as finding reliable info via the internet is sometimes quite difficult, especially since most growers don't know how to use computers). I've lived here for almost 2 years now, I so can help you avoid common pitfalls of travel within Peru. :)

Cheers,

Casandra

Permalink Reply by Vera Hofman on March 13, 2011 at 2:27pm

Hi Clay,

I would love to visit a cocoa growing country! You have been around. Which one did you like most? My first thought is the wild beans in Bolivia. What do you think?

Chocolove, Vera

Permalink Reply by Clay Gordon on March 13, 2011 at 3:08pm

Vera:

I have visited cacao farms in: Hawaii, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Belize, Grenada, and the Dominican Republic. Each is very different and all of them hold special memories for me so it's like trying to pick a "favorite" child.

That's one of the reasons I offer trips to different countries. It's also very important to visit more than one, as the cultural fabric in which cacao is woven is different in each country. That's one of the things I try to do in my trips - put cacao into cultural context - not just cover the mechanics of growing, harvesting, and post-harvest processing. Also, some trips are just physically easier because the tourism infrastructure is there.

If you only visit one or two farms in one country you still have an incomplete knowledge. It's one of the real reasons why I want to go to Bali as I've never visited anywhere in SE Asia ... so my knowledge is incomplete. I have a goal of visiting every cacao-growing area in the world and hope to make it to the majority of countries within each region.

I know Original Beans has a strong connection to the wild cacao of the Beni and so it would be go for you to go there at some point. I was in Bolivia twice in 2010 but I do want to get back there sooner rather than later - it's on my list.

:: Clay

Permalink Reply by Kalibri Anne on January 28, 2012 at 8:22pm

Hello Clay.  I would love to connect with you some how.  I am headed to Colombia to visit farms and see the process first hand.  I would so appreciate any guidance or recommendations in planning such a journey. Are you by any chance heading there yourself over the next few months?

~Maureen 

Permalink Reply by Andre Costa on March 17, 2011 at 4:03pm

Being Brazilian, I am partial to the northeast region of Brazil called Bahia. They've been growers for many, many years and some of them are actually part of this community.