As I turned the corner to the street where my GPS indicated Cocova should be, I saw a few restaurants, all doing good business…especially for a Sunday evening. But, Cocova was more subdued. All I saw was an A-frame board advertising a chocolate tasting.
Like a speakeasy of decades ago, Cocova is in the basement. Since chocolate is a guilty pleasure for many, it kind of fits. Unlike the speakeasy, Cocova is well lit. Also unlike the speakeasy’s sinful nature, chocolate has been given a bad rep unfairly.
When I was given this assignment, my experience with chocolate was limited to the sugary bars available atevery convenience store in the USA. That is the equivalence of writing an article about Formula 1 racing after having driven a 1972 Datsun B210.
So, I studied as much as I could find about the subject. I found many articles online touting the benefits of chocolate consumption, including one article claiming indications that chocolate was involved in the treatment of some forms of cancer…but all of the articles that spoke positively of made a point to say it was DARK chocolate that the healthy stuff.
After speaking with the people of Cocova, I found out that the truth is, the more raw the chocolate you consume, the healthier it is. I can only surmise, with my limited knowledge, that these articles copied the idea of dark only from each other; and that the originator of this idea was from a time when EVERYONE thought of chocolate as the same sugary bars and instant chocolate milk I bought at the grocery store…the idea of “dark” chocolate meant you could not buy it in a wrapper. I am now convinced that my “chocolate cravings” up until now have just been a combination of sugar cravings along with the comfort food the cheap stuff became.
Now, when I get a REAL chocolate craving, Cocova is on the short list of places I will visit to satisfy it. Cocova offers tastings, classes, and private parties, and supplies chocolate from around the world.
But, tonight, the focus is on Pacari Ecuadorian Organic Chocolate. Pecari was in town to exhibit at the Fancy Food Show.
Pacari Chocolate was started in 2002 by Santiago Peralta with the help of his then girlfriend and now wife, with the hope to build a life for his family. Santiago reminded me of Antonio Banderas in the role of Zorro, with a genuine humility, but an underpinning of pride that you knew would attack like a jungle cat on anyone who insult him. He started Pacari with the idea that making the final product, premium chocolate that can compare to its European counterpart, would improve the value of the crop for the local farmers, increasing the farmers standard of living.
Pacari’s logo, which looks like adancing man wearing a treed peacock for a hat is a 4000 year oldsymbol the natives identified as man and nature living in harmony. The presentation given tonight reminded me a lot of the missionary films I used to see at my Baptist church back home. For 200 years, Ecuador has been a main source (about 60%) of raw cocoa for fine European chocolate.
Through the video, I got to meet the local farmers and learn how they live simply, harvesting the cocoa crop which would eventually turn into the delicious concoctions Iwould enjoy this night. Ecuadorian Organic Chocolate made by Pacari is Bio Dynamic. All farmers who harvest and supply cocoa for Pacarimust be certified organic farmers. Pacari provides the education toaid the farmers to become certified.
Santiago shared how they provide morethan education, when it is needed. In one anecdote , he shared how a local farmer had injured himself and was not bringing as much cocoa to sell to Pacari. He was too proud to complain about his pain, but Santiago inquired. The farmer explained that he had injured his back and was unable to carry as much as before. Santiago gave him a burro, which cost the equivalent of what the farmer would make in a year.
The donkey increased the farmer’s production and improved his family’s income beyond his pre-injury level. One of the audience asked if the burro was treated kindly by the family. Santiago was silent for a moment. I got the feeling hewas dealing with a combination of things. First, the insult of being interrupted during his presentation. Second, since his native language is Spanish, he had to take a moment to translate in his mind. Third, and this was explained in his answer…he was taken back that someone would ask such a question…of course the animal was treated properly…it was the means of providing a greater income for the family.
It is clear that the mutually symbiotic relationship was valued by Pacari, and Santiago personally. Pacari offers education and resources needed by the local farmers to improve their income. The farmers provide the finest cocoa for Pacari to make some of the world’s best tasting chocolate.
Pacari sells to 26 countries worldwide, focusing on Europe and the United States. Their goal initially was to make chocolate to sell to the consumer. Now their goal is to compete with the finest chocolates from France, Germany, and Switzerland, and to win world-recognized awards for their chocolates.
A main focus of Pacari is to improve the local prices for cocoa to improve the lives of the farmers. They plan on expanding into Peru.
After the presentation, we got to sample Pacari chocolates. All were delicious and each had a distinct flavor. The different chocolates were: Andean Blueberry, Spirulina, Esmerelda, Manabi, Rosaventi, and Neave. We also sampled a unique product called Goldenberry.
Andea Blueberry: This was a dark chocolate. As I let the sample melt, I found a bit of raw cocoa. The taste hinted of blueberries. The taste was such, as unorthodox as it sounds, I would serve it alongside a hearty steak. The taste is bold enough, and the berry would be a good accent like drinking a red wine.
Spirulina: I found it to be sweeter than most of the chocolates I would taste tonight. Like the Andean Blueberry, I mould serve this with a meal, but unlike the aforementioned, I would serve this with a poultry dish…provided the poultry dish did not have a tomato sauce, such as chicken marsala, because the acidity of the tomato would over power the taste of the chocolate.
Esmeralda: This chocolate is most often compared to the European chocolates. It is 60% cocoa. The cocoa for this chocolate is harvested in the most rainy parts of Ecuador. Its initial taste is caramel and hazelnut. The lasting taste is a definite fruit flavor. Unlike the previous two chocolates, I would not serve this with a meal. Open a white wine or a Corona and enjoy this chocolate as its own treat.
Manabi: Cocoa for this chocolate is harvested in the driest areas of Ecuador. It is much darker than most chocolates. The oily taste of cocoa butter was very evident. The flavor lasts a long time. I recommend this chocolate as an ingredient to cooking. Be aware the dominant flavor may overwhelm everything else if used as chips, such as in cookies. Be sure to completely melt and mix thoroughly when used in cooking as this will force the flavor throughout the creation and not hit the palette with the sudden overwhelming chips. Also, consider using less oil to allow this chocolates natural cocoa butter oils to assist.
Rosaventi: This is a blend of cocoas.The flavor is good but not anything that would distinguish itself, other than the slight taste of rose-hips. Unlike Manabi, this would be a great chocolate to break into bits to use in cooking. Each chip bitten into would be a hidden treasure of taste that makes one look forward to the next bite.
Neave: This is a special blend. It is only from the 2010 crop and so it is of limited supply. Of the chocolates tasted, this had the least cocoa flavor. The strongest flavors were rose-hip and orange blossom. Use your imagination in using this chocolate, but I highly recommend you do yourself a f(l)avor and try this chocolate, so you know what you are missing when it is no more.
Goldenberry: Unlike the other samples we tried, this was a chocolate-covered dried berry. The goldenberryis a yellow gooseberry. Think gourmet raisonettes. The combination of sweet chocolate and sour berry are a treat for your taste buds. Becareful to not destroy your diet by eating too many handfuls, but if you do, you can console yourself by knowing you are eating fruits…which are healthy, right…and the chocolate is less processed so it retains the health benefits of raw chocolate…and you are supporting an injured farmer and his donkey in Ecuador.
Cocova: 1904 18th Street NW,Studio B Art Gallery & Tasting Room, Washington, DC 20009; Phone:202-903-0346; email: twbc@cocova.com;web: www.cocova.com
Pacari Ecuadorian Organic Chocolate: 6101 Blue Lagoon Drive, Suite 150, Miami, Florida 33126 (Ecuadorian address available when you contact them); Phone: 561-214-4726(Ecuador: (593) 2 6001004 ext:107); Founder: Santiago Peralta; email: santiago@pacarichocolate.com.
-Sensei
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