For the LOVE of Chocolate!!!

So after returning to Costa Rica we came to the Osa Peninsula it is amazing!!! We were sitting around thinking what can we do for a day prior to the big hike that will be talked about shortly. So we looked up this chocolate farm called kobo farm. We got to the farm and the owner Alex was a awesome tico. It is him and 3 other people that work the 50 hecter farm producing 100% cocolate as well as having some expreamental crops growing things that only survive in the secondary forest and the primary forest. He first took ups on a tour of some really cool plants a lot of which were used by his family when they were living in a more remote style of life what we call the indiginous people. Plants that are used to cure parasites, arthritis, fever, anemia, and all sorts of other stuff. But then on the farm he has the secondary forest and primary that he takes us through and explains a lot of thing really informational. And then the good stuff he showed us the cocoa plant. the fruit which is the yellow thing that has white fruit inside as seen in pics. The fruit is really good to eat you just dont bite through it the center is purple as in pic and is kind of bitter. So when the cocoa fruit is yellow it is time to pick and then they take out the fruit and ferment it for 5 days for the English and 3 for Americans. The fermentation is most important the longer it ferments the better the chocolate depending on how you like your chocolate. But obviously the english is better. then the seeds are set out to dry for 5 days and they have to be constantly turned so they dry evenly. at that time we tryed the seeds and you could really taste the difference in the 5 day fermented and the 3 day. Jenna liked the 3 day and I liked the 5 day a lot more bitter. After the drying you crack the seed open and the chocolate is on the inside then he put it in a old grinder that looked like the meat grinder that we used to have mom. This really brought out the smell of chocolate. from there is when in the U.S. we lose all the natural cocoa. that is why we are all so fat from eating the chocolate in the U.S. It is said that chocolate is really good for the skin and heart but not the U.S. chocolate. Because of companies like Nestle´s and Hershey´s at this point squeeze out the cocoa fat which is what is good for you and sell it for big money to the cosmetics companies. (everything is for more money in the U.S.) all that is left is about 5 to 20% fat in the cocoa and the rest is vegetable oil very bad for you. so that is the exciting info that we have about the chocolate. at the end of the tour we endulged in some 100% pure chocolate fondue it was amazing but it was so different then any chocolat we have ever had. But dont worry we bought some and are willing to share for a small donation to help us get back to flagstaff!! love you all remember to say hello to your animals they have feelings to...