Chocolate amaretto, 1919 rum-chocolate, mocha, dark chocolate and spicy chocolate were just some of the delicious flavours of chocolate-inspired gelato creations tempting visitors at the recent World Cocoa and Chocolate Day held at UWI, St Augustine, on October 1.
Hosted by UWI's Cocoa Research Centre, the event attracted a wide range of people from farmers to academics to curious students. Researchers, artisans and entrepreneurs showed a variety of exciting cocoa-related products and services at the many booths.
The event, sponsored by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, was the fourth of its kind, an annual celebration of cocoa and chocolate which has caught on with the public to become more than a niche networking event. Crowds of visitors of all ages, sizes and persuasions came out to sample the products, talk to manufacturers, and share in the general enthusiasm for great quality T&T cocoa products.
Displays included exquisite chocolate cupcakes by pastry chef Rihanna Abdul of The Dessert Lab, sustainable cocoa ecotourism projects and aromatic cocoa-infused body soaps, potions and lotions by Amara Organics, Rodco Home Essentials and Al Bakari of Grande Agro-Tourism.
Old-fashioned cocoa tea by Astrida Saunders was on offer, as were hand-painted tiles with floral and cocoa motifs by Lorenza Robinson. A chocolate fountain slathered streams of decadent chocolate over fruit and marshmallows for the public's nibbling pleasure, courtesy the T&T Fine Chocolate Factory. And for those close to the earth, there was friendly advice from the Forestry Division on alternative tropical forest seedlings for growing cocoa in a sustainable, varied tropical forest system–an approach that helps preserve biodiverse forest and wildlife ecosystems while growing food crops.
Chocolate gelatos from Tobago
One of the many people doing creative, well-made, delicious things with cocoa at the expo was the cheerful Mirko D'Alessio, owner of Ciao Cafe in Tobago, and maker of some delicious, creamy gelato. His booth was very popular at the back of the JFK hall as a constant stream of people stopped by to sample chocolate rum, amaretto and spicy flavours of quality chocolate ice cream manufactured by his business.
"I am an Italian, and a Trinidadian and Tobagonian," said D'Alessio to the T&T Guardian, "and I have been in Tobago 12 years now. My business is Ciao Cafe in Scarborough, where we make our own ice cream from scratch with local products, such as the flavours you see here using cocoa from T&T."
There were many delicious, locally-made chocolate brands on display, showing how popular the T&T artisanal chocolatier profession is becoming, as more people explore professions related to agriculture and unique food products.
New chocolate butters from Exotic Mountain Pride
One popular cocoa and chocolate brand at the expo was the Exotic Mountain Pride label, a family business launched in 2007 and run by Astrida Saunders, her brother Stephan Saunders, Astrida's two daughters, and cocoa product innovator Wayne Cezair. The business partners pool their talents: while Stephan Saunders is a cocoa farmer, exporter and buying agent, his sister Astrida Saunders has a degree in agriculture from a Venezuelan university, and Wayne Cezair helps dream up and create delicious new products, such as the latest new line of cocoa nut butters.
Exotic Mountain Pride sources its cocoa from the Saunders family's Tamana cocoa estate, which is about 60 km way from its production base in Santa Cruz. Their very first product was a big success: a revival of old-fashioned drinking chocolate or "cocoa tea," infused with herbs and spices.
The Exotic Mountain Pride product line has since expanded to include cocoa liqueurs, cocoa butter (culinary and cosmetic), crunchy cocoa nibs snacks, a range of chocolate bars, four kinds of boutique chocolate bon bons (fudge, rum-soaked fruit, sugar-cake, and Caribbean fruit & nut), and some tasty new chocolate spreadables not yet in production, which will be in three versions: peanut, almond and cashew. Wayne Cezair invented these creamy, tasty chocolate spreads, and is justifiably proud of them, saying that very soon, we will have authentic local alternatives to the US-made, imported hazelnut spread Nutella.
"In a small business like this, my job involves everything from product development to marketing," said Cezair, adding: "We're soon going to open shops. The first shop will open in Port-of-Spain in the next two weeks: it will be at 23 Gordon Street (between Pembroke and Abercromby streets). After that, we hope to open in each major area� San Fernando, Chaguanas, Arima. And eventually, up the islands, because all up the islands you have cocoa traditions–St Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent and Dominica."
Chocolates and cocoa powder from JB Chocolates
The Guardian also met JB Chocolates, an artisan business led by T&T chocolatier James Burns. The business is just one year old, but is already enjoying good sales. Based in the Gran Couva Estate on the northern slopes of the Monserrat Hills, about 1,000 ft above sea level, JB Chocolates makes seven chocolate bar products in milk and dark chocolate, all from 100 per cent Trinitario cocoa beans. It also makes other cocoa food products such as cocoa nibs and an all-natural cocoa powder.
"We are a member of the Montserrat Cocoa Farmers Cooperative, where there are about 45 small farmers, and we all pool our cocoa. We buy our beans from them. The cooperative does the fermenting in the old, traditional way, and sun-dries the cocoa beans, so it's all natural," shared Burn's mother at their booth. She added:
"Next year we want to branch out into the region, into Caricom, maybe the States and Europe, but right now we have quite a good local market. We have retailers; we participate in the monthly Up Market, and have been to Green Market; that's kept us pretty busy. The cocoa in T&T is a fine flavour, especially from the rich soils of the Gran Couva region."
Celebrating chocolate & cocoa concludes tomorrow