Dave through the Americas - Chocolate Making 101

First you convince two beautiful young women that a chocolate making session is where it’s at! (Doesn’t take much, must be the chocolate)

Then you see the Master. Diego weighs out 14 lbs of cacao and starts roasting them over a fire

This is bare basics over a home made wood fire, but the cacao roast nicely and begin to get that good flavor.

The beans’ skins are peeled and the results presented. Ladies.

Panela, which is pure unrefined sugar (molasses and all) in block form, is grated up by knife

Orange juice will be combined with 6 blocks of panela when cooking the sugar

The cacao beans are taken to the community grinder and ground at 1 quetzal or 13 cents per pound

Angela, Diego’s wife makes sure none of the cacao is wasted during the noisy grinding process

Dave, I'm so freakin' jealous of you!

;)

Actually, that sounds great! I want to hear all about it when I get back. Also, I met a guy by accident today when I was volunteering at the youth hostel. He was from New York, and when he saw all my cycling gear, he started ranting about a guy he knew that was riding his bike from Alaska to South America, and I fell out of my chair... literally! I said, "Are you talking about Dave W, because I know him!". The guy backed down and said he actually didn't know you, but that he actually knew OF you- he heard of your travels, and he was under the impression you were going to talk about it and do some lecturing when you got back. We both laughed about it- what a small world this is!

Anyway, if you pass through Chicago, let me know. You and yours are always welcome here at my humble abode.

Koffee

P.S. And I'm not just saying those nice things to get some free chocolate either (hint, hint!)! :D

The result of grinding the cacao produces a thick but silky cream of cacao. Yes, we tasted it and it was very bitter.

Dave carries the goods back to the shop Guatemalan style

Diego mixes the OJ with the panela

Young girls helping out make cream from powdered milk and water

The panela is cooked into syrup

The cacao is mixed into the hot panela syrup…

…and chocolate is made!

Mixy mixy! Looks delicious, huh?

We add the cream to the chocolate for a smother product

Mix and taste

Taste testing, an important step to making good chocolate

Diego mixes in the flavorings. One of my favorites, mint

After all the flavors are made, the chocolate is rolled into wax paper

“See Jane, this is how it’s done” (But in Spanish)

Dave rolls a fatty!

The finished product! Whew! Can I go home now? My tummy hurts!

Where's my piece?

:lol: Sounds like paradise, Dave.

*sigh*

I'll be heading out to Godiva tomorrow. Thanks for nothing! :lol:

Koffee

Thanks - great photos.