From Coca to Cocoa

I used to be able to live without chocolate and could even turn down any offer to have a piece in exchange for anything salty. Two pregnancies later, and I now have a sweet tooth that has a predilection for chocolate!

Peruvian chocolate has been gaining more popularity locally and internationally (like at the Salon du Chocolat - Paris, where in 2010 Peruvian cacao was recognized as having the most aromatic seed). So it's no surprise that in our recent family trip to Tarapoto - San Martin, topping my list of things to do and see was a visit to La Orquidea - Organic Chocolate Factory. Needless to say, the wonderful smell of chocolate right as I walked through the doors to the small factory, followed by a delicious sample of melted chocolate, had me running to the shop to buy some chocolate bars. I tried the bitter, coconut and pecan and honestly I cannot tell you which one was my favorite.




The only thing that can make savoring these chocolates even sweeter is knowing that only six years ago, the same farmers that are now growing this amazing cacao, were growing coca leaves, thus propelling Peru into becoming the second producer of certified organic cacao and producing 20% of aromatic and fine cacao worldwide. This is a transformation that needs to continue and I will gladly eat more chocolate to support it.