I love chocolate. I enjoy tasting it every now and then, and as I write this post I have an organic chocolate bar sitting next to my laptop.
But, other than eating it, I knew nothing about chocolate nor how it’s made.
Here in Belize, I had the opportunity to learn how chocolate is made from raw cacao to final product. But what’s even more interesting is that I learned how to make chocolate like the Mayas did for over a thousand years.
The word cacao originated from the Maya word Ka’kau’, as well as the word chocolate from Chocol’ha and the verb chokola’j – “to drink chocolate together”.
The Maya believed that the ka’kau’ was discovered by the gods in a mountain that also contained other delectable foods to be used by the Maya.
Since the cacao was revered as the drink of the gods, only the elite in the Maya society could afford to drink it. In addition, the cacao seeds were used as a form of currency, so only the wealthy had the pleasure of enjoying the delightful taste of chocolate.
The Mayas passed on their knowledge of cacao through oral history and even in writing, documenting the use and importance of cacao in their daily life and rituals.
Today, in the Cyrila’s Chocolate Farm –owned and operated by Juan and Abelina Cho, a Maya couple– we can see firsthand how their ancestors used to make chocolate. This is their process:
Cacao comes from the seeds of a fruit pod that sprouts directly from the trunk or main branches of the Madre Cacao tree. When the fruit turns green-ish to yellow, it is ripe and ready to be harvested.
Inside the ripe pods are cocoa beans. These are covered with a soft white flesh that can be sucked. It has a sweet taste.
The beans are collected and put in a wooden box for fermenting – for a period of 5 to 6 days. Then, they are spread in a flat exterior surface to be sundried. When dry, they can be stored in bags or used as needed.
Before cracking the shell of the beans, they are roasted in the comal (a heating pan). The shells are thrown away.
Juan Cho shows his skills in winnowing – the process used to separate the small pieces of shell from the beans.
The beans can be crushed with a stone to create cocoa nibs. Or…
The beans are placed in a Matate, a volcanic basalt stone where they are grinded by hand. The beans have a percentage of butter inside them. When heated with the friction of the grinding process, they turn the crushed beans into a paste.
Here, Abelina Cho is grinding the beans until they become a soft paste.
This is the result of grinding the seeds for just a few minutes. It can take 3 to 6 hours of grinding to achieve a smooth paste, depending on the smoothness desired.
At this point, since the cocoa paste is in its raw form, 100% cocoa, its taste is bitter. Spices and flavors –butter, chile, black pepper, honey, and others– can be added to create a different taste and to reduce the percentage of cocoa.
Pour the cocoa paste in molds (shown behind the cocoa products) and let dry at ambient temperature.
Enjoy!
Add a few machines, bells, and whistles and you’ll have the modern chocolate making technique that other local Belizean companies like Kakaw Chocolate and Cotton Tree Chocolate use, but overall, the process is still similar to what the Mayas did for hundreds of years.
I didn’t know how chocolate was made either. Makes you kind of appreciate it a little bit more knowing the hard work that is put into making it. Great pictures too. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Tanya. I didn’t know anything about chocolate, but looking at the process it makes you appreciate it a bit more.
Great Norbert! What an awesome experience…. look at those chocolate. Wow.
Thanks Juno! Those chocolates were so yummy!
Well the finished product certainly looks delicious! It’s interesting how the seeds were used as currency by the Mayas.
Delicious indeed! I find that interesting too… how something so simple and organic once was a form of currency, and highly valued by the Mayas.
I knew a little about the cocoa seeds being used as currency in the past and that chocolate was a luxury that not many could afford, but didn’t know much about the manual grinding process – looking at the final result, I think I could do that all day long, everyday!
Seeing the process made me realize why chocolate was so valued back then… that grinding process takes hours to do a few pounds of chocolate. Hard work, eh?!
I lived in Belize and visited Lamanai and Altun’ha, but never experienced Maya chocolate making. Looks very interesting. Does Belize export chocolate?
Hey Sonia! I know Cyrila’s exports chocolate but only on special orders, not on bulk a regular basis. I believe Belize only produces a small amount of chocolate that is mostly consumed in the country.
I had no idea how chocolate was made, or what it’s like in its original form. Sure gives you a greater appreciation for what goes into the process!
Once I saw this I did gain a better appreciation of chocolate. It is a lot of work to produce just a small amount of chocolate, with the smoothest and best quality possible. But wow, that chocolate is purely delicious!
I too love chocolate. I knew all about the history and the process but I have never seen it. Your post and the great pictures are a brilliant illustration.Would like to write more, but my hot chocolate is waiting!!
Thanks Inka! ah, better get that hot chocolate!
Very interesting! Six hours of grinding!?! My arms are tired just thinking about. I think I’ll stick to buying it in the store
haha! It takes a lot of effort, but hey, it’s so worth it when you taste it. But, I don’t think I’ll be able to grind for six hours either… haha.
You had me at “chocolate.”
haha!! They had me at the first bit of chocolate smell.
Brilliantly written thanks! I love learning new things, and now will look at chocolate with the respect it deserves.
Thanks John! Oh yes, the way the Mayas used to do their chocolate deserves a lot of respect. Look at all the work involved in it!
I have to say that I really don’t know much about how any chocolate is made, much less how the Mayans have done it for 1000 yrs. Did it taste as good as it looks? Very interesting, Norbert.
Cathy, their chocolate tasted soooo good! I tasted a few different chocolates: orange flavored (love it!), honey flavored, 100%, 70%, and 40% chocolate. I personally loved the most the orange and the 40% since the other ones are really strong for my taste. But still really good.
Would love to try the pure cocoa and perhaps add it to a cup of coffee
Make sure to just add a little bit, because the pure cocoa is very strong and bitter.
I love that you were able to learn how they make chocolate. I’m with you, I love chocolate so trying new types of chocolate would be fun.
Lisa, whenever you come to Belize, make your way down to Toledo and try the different types of chocolate they prepare here… you will love it!!
Oh man, learning how chocolate is made over there sounds immense!
Pictures look brilliant and really gives you a vision on the process!
Was it the best chocolate you ever had? Beating Dairy Milk?
Ed, I have to say this chocolate tasted like none other I had tasted before, in a good sense! I got to appreciate the darker chocolates and its organic taste. It does beat the commercial milk chocolate!