01 Jan Chocolate made in Panama
In Panama There’s Chocolate Growing On Trees!
Chocolate lovers, I have the best news ever in the history of chocolate. Chocolate could technically be considered a fruit! It’s the seed of the cacao fruit that is fermented, roasted and processed into cocoa powder. Get it? Cocoa is the seed of a fruit!
Cocoa Fruit
For proper research on this very important topic, I was on the hunt for some delicious chocolate made right here in Panama from locally sourced cocoa. But guess what? Although the country annually produces 400 tons of cocoa, only 5% of it is sold here in Panama. Those of you in Europe are enjoying 75% of Panama’s cocoa and in the United States, the remaining 20%.
Do you know why good chocolate is expensive? Because growing cacao is quite challenging and labor intensive. Most of Panama’s cacao fruit trees are found in the Bocas del Toro region where the trees thrive in the shady and rainy climate.
The fruit pods grow directly from the bark of the tree and must be continually checked for just the right time to harvest. The cacao pod contains a white gelatinous pulp surrounding around 20-30 beans per pod which are then fermented, dried, cleaned and roasted.
Cocoa Seeds
When the beans are coarsely ground the result are cocoa nibs, crunchy slightly bitter chocolate flavored bits packed with antioxidants and essential minerals. They can be used in many recipes including one of my favorites, overnight oats. For a healthy breakfast or snack, mix oats, almond milk, unsweetened yogurt together with cocoa nibs, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and date sugar in a mason jar and leave in the fridge overnight to enjoy in the morning.
In the highlands of the Bocas del Toro region, there are around 1,000 small eco-friendly cacao farms totaling 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) that sell at a fair-trade price to a cooperative who then sells to exporters.
The majority of cacao producers are indigenous people to the land that has been their home since the 1500’s. Some, like the Ngäbe in Silico Creek, are producing their own chocolate treats to sell to tourists and establishments in Bocas del Toro because selling to the coop doesn’t provide enough income. With the help of Arcelia Gallardo of Mission Chocolate, who trained the women on new product creation, they proudly established Ñöba Bälen Chocolates, available when you visit the region.
The demand for Panamanian cocoa is high because most small farms don’t use chemicals for pests or diseases, therefore increasing the value as the demand for organic and fair-trade agriculture products grows.
Looking for true Panamanian chocolate? Consider these options: Oro Moreno Gourmet Chocolate, making handcrafted chocolate with all-Panamanian cacao. They use local ingredients and invite you to taste Panama in their chocolates. I was able to find them at the Arrocho in Coronado. For research purposes, I bought three bars, a 90% and a 60% cocoa dark chocolate and a 41% chocolate made with Panamanian coffee – this was my favorite.
In Casco Viejo, near the Panama Canal Museum, you can rest your feet from touring the UNESCO Heritage Site and savor Panamanian chocolate at Mosaico Chocolate Café. And Sagrado Cacao is a Panamanian company producing the I Love Panama Chocolate bars reflecting the history of Panama in their flavors.
You can support efforts to increase public awareness in the value of making Panama Cocoa available to local producers for economic purposes as Panama steps toward a culinary evolution. Ask your favorite store to stock locally sourced and produced chocolate.