Of course, plenty of people come to Grenada in Winter for the sun, sea and sand. And for the fourth 's' for which Grenada is even better known: spices.
grenada cocoa

Cocoa, without which there would be no chocolate, is grown in Grenada. It is one of our main three agricultural products.
belmont estate cocoa
The cocoa trees are all over the island: no prizes for spotting them. And the big pods, brownish-red or yellow when ripe, are easy to distinguish. But what happens next? What does cocoa / chocolate production involve once the pods have been picked?

There's really quite a lot of work. The beans, covered in a sticky white goo that tastes a bit like lemon yoghurt, are removed from the pod and taken to a cocoa fermentary. There are three of these on the Island, and if you can tear yourself away from the beach, we recommend that you seek one out and have a look.
The most accessible is Carlton, on the St.George's - Grenville main road, just before you reach Grenville.

As you arrive, you will notice the unmistakable smell of fermentation. Like a brewery, but different. Fermentation is the only way to get rid of the white sticky substance, and it also has the effect of reducing the bitterness of the beans.
cocoa

The fermentation takes place in big wooden bins (though sometimes in sacks.) In bins, the beans are covered with sacking and banana leaves. This lasts about a week. The beans are then brown, no longer bitter, but wet: they would rot if not dried carefully. They are put out onto drying trays in the hot sun, and turned frequently (sometimes with rakes, sometimes by walking through them barefoot) so that they dry evenly.

After this, they are dry, but they still have a dusty residue which needs washing off. So they are put into a big metal drum and stirred, while water is hosed on from above and hot air blown in from below. This is known as polishing, because they emerge shiny. Then they are graded by size, and bagged up for export.

cocoa The non exportable beans are ground up fairly coarsely and made into 'cocoa balls' or 'cocoa bars' which can be bought in many places on the island. These are grated over hot water to make 'cocoa tea': a chocolate drink.

There is a Grenadian Chocolate factory at Hermitage which produces a limited amount of chocolate. For those of you who would prefer a more unrefined taste of chocolate, cocoa balls are available everywhere, and you should take this taste of Grenada home, as well as taking a look at the first steps towards chocolate production at a fermentary.

Interested in ordering some cocoa balls?
Check out the following address: arawak-islands.com

(written & photos by Ian Blakie - Sunsation Tours)

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