Five Chocolate Things to do in and Around Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Neptune guards Puerto Vallarta with his signature spear. Hey Neptune - pay attention!

IGNORE THE MEXICO TRAVEL ADVISORY?

A week before we boarded the plane, the US State Department issued a travel warning against any non-essential travel to Mexico [1].  As I follow through now with our family vacation in Puerto Vallarta,  I’d like to defend my actions as essential travel.  Dear Dept of State:  If you knew the stress and hard work my wife and I have endured over the last year, you would understand the necessity of this trip.  As far as I can tell, the only way you’re going to get accosted here is by some guy trying to sell you a time share.  And, you wouldn’t know by the airport that people have been scared away from Mexico – the lines in Immigration and Customs were horrendous, but it was a Saturday after all.  Besides the upgraded Malecon – now peacefully closed to vehicle traffic, and the project to widen the sidewalks in the Zona Romantica, everything seems pretty much the same.

Someone said to me before our departure: “Oh, as long as you don’t venture outside of the resort, you’ll be fine.”  Resort?  This is not some artificial all-inclusive Caribbean resort cocoon.  No, we are in the Zona Romantica –  the real thing with its dusty cobblestone streets teaming with semi-retired Canadians and 30-plus gay men, art galleries, open-air restaurants, a few Tequila shops, technicolor Pacific sunsets and an over abundance of beach vendors on Playa de los Muertos all coddled by the gigantic Banderas bay on one side and steep hillsides on the other.  So venture out into the real world I did.  Out to find something chocolate.

This is not as easy as it sounds since Puerto Vallarta is a long way from the epicenter of chocolate in southern Mexico – Oaxaca.  But, with two young children in two, we were going to stay where it is safe for now.  Here’s what I found.

FINDING CHOCOLATE IN PUERTO VALLARTA

Mexican drinking chocolate disks are, for me, too sweet to eat straight, but you could mix them up with milk or water for a traditional drinking chocolate.

1.  Mexican Hot Chocolate Disks of Moyahua - I found these traditional style Mexican chocolate disks in a sweet shop one block off the Malecon.  There were no ingredients on the list, but the guy in the shop said it was 70% cacao.  I tasted it at home and it’s not.  Instead, it’s a typical coarsely ground mix of heavily sugared cacao with a bit of cinnamon taken almost exclusively as a drink.  For me it’s too sweet to even drink as cocoa, but I have a plan to blend it into a mole along with some better chocolate and chili peppers I’ve acquired on this trip.  I have to say it’s better than the disks of Abulita that I found on my last trip to Mexico.  The shop also had a large almond chocolate bar that had cacao as the first ingredient.  Both are 85 pesos.   Dulceria Con Orgullo Azteca, Juarez 449.  The shop is a block or two off the Malecon.

Chocolate mole is kept warm over charcoal and ready to sample.

2. The Chocolate Mole at El Mole de Jovita –  Head down Basillio Badillo away from the beach and walk right past the highly overrated Joe Jack’s Fish Shack to this authentic mom and pop restaurant three doors down [3].    On a Friday night, we found a young woman stirring a pot of mole sauce ready to blanket a variety of chicken and other dishes from a simple menu.

The exact recipe of any Mexican’s chocolate mole is usually a well guarded secret, but the savory sauce is brought to life by chili peppers and balanced by dark chocolate thrown in at the end.  Other ingredients may include tomatoes, fruits such as raisins, spices and bits of bread or tortillas as thickeners.  They told me this mole  contained something like of 37 different varieties of chili peppers.  Don’t worry, the heat is actually quite mild.

She offered a sample of the sauce on a chip with a few sesame seeds sprinkled over the top.  I found it neither excessively spice nor sweet – nice balance.  The dinning room is open to the street in front for people watching.  With great regrets, we were already waiting on a table next door on the last night of our trip.  I really wished we had gone into this place for a more authentic dinner prepared by a Mexican family.  The reviews on TripAdvisor are excellent.  Next time.  El Mole de Jovita Restaurant, 220 Basillo Badillo.

3. Xocodiva Artisan Chocolates - I blogged on this shop a couple of years ago and it’s great to see that they are still going strong.  Excellent, rich, thick drinking chocolate, chocolate bars, truly artisan truffles and other chocolate confections.  Not cheap, but top notch.  Worth a visit or two, or three for sure.  They’re in the romantic zone next to the San Marino Hotel on Rodolfo Gomez 118.  322-113-0352.

The view over Sayulita, Mexico

The Choco Banana will fuel your body for surfing.

4. ChocoBanana, Sayulita.   We did venture out on the highway north of the bay to this picturesque and vibrant surfing village.  One of the better coffee shop / cafes is ChocoBanana along the main road in the center of town.  We never did get to try the namesake banana because noise from the nearby sidewalk construction drove us out.  None-the-less, there’s lots to do in Sayulita besides eating, like shopping, lying in the sun or learning to surf!  Surf lessons abound on the beach as well as laid-back beach eateries and chairs to rent.  The crowd is mixed, but definitely younger than in PV.

We took the 75 minute taxi ride up from the Zona Romantica for about 650 pesos plus tip and then decided to take the public bus back for about 80 pesos (for two adults and two children).  The bus was fine.  We had to stand for about 5 minutes, then another 30 minutes with kids in our laps and then the rest of the 90 minute ride with our own seats as the bus emptied out.  Without children, it’s a no-brainer to take the bus.  Catch it at the airport or at the Wal-Mart.

Even the least cloying of the chocolate creme tequilas was just OK. Find out for yourself by tasting small samples at the store.

5.  Chocolate Cream Tequila Liqueur -  I had read there was a chocolate tequila available in PV, but there was not much information to go by.  I’m not really a tequila drinker, but the chocolate twist sounded intriguing and conjured up images of some Mexican craftsman extracting cacao beans into a traditional distilled agave spirit.   I found a large tequila shop, Tequila Arrecife, on Olas Allas one block south of the Los Arcos hotel on the opposite side.

A salesman with excellent English ran through the options – about 4-5 tequila-based chocolate liqueurs with a few, but not all available to taste.  Think Bailey’s Irish Creme, but with chocolate flavor and a backbone of tequila.  Not exactly what I was looking for, but I was on a mission, so I picked up one that was the least sweet – Mayakoba Crema de Chocolate al Tequila.  This liqueur used silver tequila base and the flavor was sweet and heady.  I found it a little disturbing that there were some bits of solids floating around despite my vigorous shaking.  At only 28 proof, this is not much stronger than wine.  I could see taking this as a dessert drink or pouring it over ice cream.

You can expect to pay about $30-40 US for 750 mL unless you are more patient than I was, you and can get a better deal.  If they quote you in US dollars, then pay in dollars.  Otherwise, pay close attention to the exchange they are using for Pesos and make sure it matches the local exchange you paid…or walk away (tell them you are going to get some dollars and think about it).

Tequila Arrecife has only been open for three months and has no sign, but it’s too big to miss.  There are also plenty of smaller shops on the Malecon including some branches of Tequila Arrecife.  411 Calle Olas Altas. P.  222-0984.

TO RETURN TO MEXICO OR NOT?

Still recovering from travel now, we haven’t yet decided whether we will go back to Mexico next year.   We went to Costa Rica ten years ago and then again in 2011 and both were wonderful experiences.  But recent reports are that Costa Rica is becoming over priced as everyone afraid to travel in Mexico is fleeing further south for vacation.  On the other hand, Puerto Vallarta has its unique charms that might not be apparent to the unobservant.  It’s like a museum that can’t decide whether to show classical art, contemporary art or natural history.  It’s all there along with crumbling wings under repair and a hidden security system that, for the most part,  keeps the bandits out.

Notes

[1] The warning is detailed state by state and includes the state of Jalisco where Puerto Vallarta lies.   But the general warning also states:  ”…there is no evidence that Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) have targeted U.S. visitors and residents based on their nationality. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes.”  If you read the fine print on Jalisco, it says that the trouble there is in areas bordering other states.  Until drug dealers have a reason to go off their beaten drug route, PV will remain unscathed and safe, in my opinion.

[2] At first I was going to recommend that you visit Joe Jack’s Fish Shack and have their Mexican Hot Chocolate for desert.  The drink has improved over the years and gone from an overly sweet, heavily cinnamon-laced drink to a thick, rich melted dark chocolate with rum.  The pros on Joe Jack’s:  the roof terrace.  The cons:  It’s overflowing with a clueless crowd that seems to seek dumbed-down, tasteless Mexican food, the wait is ridiculous, and the service is slow.  We went there on our last night in PV and were “overlooked” by the manager while waiting for a table so that we had to wait on the street almost an hour even though we had arrived at 5:15!  If you judge a sushi restaurant by its rice, then you judge a Mexican restaurant by its guacamole. The guacamole at Joe Jack’s is a half-hearted effort to mash some avocado with tomatoes and onions.  Case closed.  ”But it’s not a Mexican restaurant,” you say?  Right, it’s a kind of overpriced Mexican fusion pub.  Still not worth the wait.  We’re done with Joe Jack’s.  The manager did give us a free coconut pie for desert only after endless complaining on our part.  Thanks man.  It was the right thing to do, but we’re done.

Searching for Chocolate Near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica – 8 Tips for Your San Jose Layover

The road to Puerto Viejo is lined with fruit stands, banana plantations, and the occasional restaurant, but get some rest before the drive.

The first night in San Jose

It’s been a while since our last trip to Costa Rica, but since many of you are about to head down again, I’d like to share a little of our experience in San Jose. Our ultimate destination was Puerto Viejo where we searched for local chocolate, but the five-hour drive to this idyllic beach-town required a night in San Jose on both ends.  Why?  Well, this is not a drive I would want to start in the dark – the city is confusing at night and unless you know Spanish, finding someone to get clear directions would be hit-or-miss at best.  So, get some rest and head out in the morning.   Here are some tips to make for a more comfortable transition.

A flight delay put us on the ground at midnight only to find no one at the airport rental car desk even though we called them from Miami to confirm they would wait.  The next day we learned that Economy Rental Car didn’t hold our car as promised and were not willing to give us the original rate.  After over an hour of negotiation, we left the city rental office with a small SUV and started our adventure.  Tip #1:  before you head over to any rental car office, get a firm price on the phone, get the name of the person you’re talking to and ask them how long they will hold the car.  When you meet them face-to-face, be prepared to argue persistently with the person you talked to on the phone when their story changes, if you can find them.  Tip #2: don’t do business with Economy in Costa Rica.  I don’t know about the other car rental agencies, but these guys simply don’t play straight.

Tip #3:  Accept the fact that small problems are a normal part of travelling.  My rule is that something always goes wrong on a trip.  The best thing to do is don’t sweat it and be happy to get any minor disaster out of the way early.  Keep in mind that you are in a kind of paradise, so it’s all good.

Where to Stay in San Jose, Costa Rica

TIP #4: A far more pleasant experience was our overnight stay at Out of Bounds B&B. Recommendation by our American expatriate friend, this place was comfortable, reasonable and well situated – only 20 minutes from the international airport.  The rooms were clean and smartly decorated.  Most of all, the owners, a couple from Canada and Costa Rica, were extra helpful – jumping in to assist with our rental car mix up and providing advice on alternative transportation to Puerto Viejo.  Breakfast was served outdoors on the second-floor balcony with a view of the tropical hillsides.  At the time, rates ranged from $80 to $125 per night for standard and deluxe rooms, but may vary by season.

A brochure for an Arenal Volcano tour combined with local hot springs. Costa Rica's most active volcano started its most recent eruption in 1968.

This place is hard to find in the dark, so I would recommend getting a taxi from the airport to the inn (can be arranged through Out of Bounds in advance) and then getting your rental car the next day.  You can also hire a taxi or van to take you all the way from San Jose to Puerto Viejo (cost varies depending upon the size of car required, but will be north of $100 ).  If you are travelling light, the Grey Line bus is only $35.  At your destination, you may also be able to hire a car for a few days, rather than the whole trip.

What to see around San Jose, Costa Rica

A top priority on my bucket list is to see Costa Rica’s most active volcano, Arenal which is northwest of San Jose.  TIP #5: It can be done as a day trip, but I would recommend staying overnight near Arenal so you can get a chance to observe the eruption at night, from afar.  Expediciones Tropicales offers tours including hot springs near the volcano and overnight packages.  Or, you can drive up on your own schedule.

TIP #6: If you don’t have much time, you can visit the Britt Coffee Plantation and Factory.  Our friends took this tour at the end of their trip and walked on the plane all loaded up with genuine Costa Rican gifts: bags of coffee beans.

The Red Velvet was our favorite at Cupcake Cafe, San Jose

Mary Little helps us decide

TIP #7: If you are in the city, give your feet a rest and stop to check out Cupcake Cafe.  Owner Mary Little goes far beyond the run of the mill cupcake and makes some wonderful and creative indulgences with flavors such as Chocolate Brownie with Leche Dolce, Zucchini, and our favorite, Red Velvet.  Of course they also  have a serious espresso machine to make the perfect complement to your frosting-topped treat using the best coffee from the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica.  The clean and lively decor will stimulate your conversation and plans for the next great adventure.  Cupcake Cafe: Mon. – Fri. 11AM-7PM, Sat. 11PM-5PM.  Tel: 2224-5563

There’s so much more to do around San Jose.  For more ideas, ask your innkeepers, Meranda and Matteo.

Destination: Puerto Viejo

For us, the ultimate destination was the secluded sea-side town of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.  TIP #8: If you’re looking for some chocolate tours in or around Puerto Viejo, take a look at this earlier post.

Japanese Premium Dark Chocolate – Meiji The Premium Single

The Chocolate is molded with precision into deep squares

I’m back in Tokyo this week and had chance to pick up some real Japanese chocolate.  It seems that the trend towards premium and single-origin chocolate has finally reached Japan’s shores.  Meiji Milk Company has been around for almost 100  years and makes various inexpensive chocolate bars that can be found in the ubiquitous Seven-Elevens and Lawsons stores throughout the country.  Now, for the first time, I’ve come across a Japanese-made dark chocolate bar that uses single-origin beans and is marketed as a “premium” chocolate.

The box explains single-origin chocolate

Can the Japanese really make great chocolate bars?  After all, the food of the gods has its origins in Mesoamerica and was first transformed into drinking chocolate and what you would recognize as chocolate bars in Europe.  In fact, chocolate making seems to be far more intertwined with European culture which boasts easily over one hundred makers of bars alone – from Amedei to Zotter, never mind truffles and all the rest.  Europe has more practice and more history with refined chocolate than anyone else in the world. So, can a Japanese company really learn how to make a world class chocolate bar?

I will answer my own, intentionally naïve, question.  Yes, in my estimation, the Japanese are capable of making pretty much any fine or gourmet food you can think of.  When I lived in Japan with my family, we were delighted to hear that Tokyo had been deemed by Michelin to be “… a shining star in the world of cuisine[2].”  It’s an international city on par with any other and clearly people here get the concept and techniques behind fine food.

One of my favorite comfort foods when we lived here was the chocolate croissant.  When the walls of our tiny apartment started to close in, I would lead my then three-year-old son by the hand down to street level and around the corner to a delightful little bakery that might as well have been in New York or Paris.  The perfect little airy, buttery pastries made a lasting impression on both of us.  These are one of the few things my son can still remember from his time in Tokyo:   the “chocolate ‘a-sants.”

So, I have no doubt that Japan is capable of producing great chocolate, but Meiji Milk company?  Let’s taste some and see.

Dark chocolate from Dominica cacao beans

WHAT:   Meiji The Premium Single Dark Chocolate – Dominica.  61% Cacao. 58g. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, trehalose emulsifier (soy lecithin, sucrose esters of fatty acids), artificial flavor.

Where to buy in USA: H-Mart Stores.

WHEN: September 25, 2011

OVERALL RATING:  73

AROMA:  Heavy roast, smoked ham, roasted fig, green beans, vanillin.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:  Malt.  It takes a while to open up, so not much else initially.

MIDDLE TASTE: Raspberry, oak, pine, cacao fruit.  I have to give them some credit for bringing out a bit of cacao fruit.

FINISH:  Cedar, caramel, wax beans.  Simple, not complex, but gets a few points for a long finish.

TEXTURE: A little dull, but melts fine.

LAST BITE:  Sorry guys, this is not a great bar.  Meiji is sort of the Hershey’s of Japan, so what can we expect?  Well premium should be premium, but to be fair and compare to something clearly not premium, I bought some “garden variety” Meiji chocolate from the closest Lawsons.  I found a pack of little dark chocolate squares called Meiji Black.  In Japan, they seem to like products with the simple designation: “Black”– noting some pure extreme or trying to draw in a masculine audience like the popular chewing gum called Black Black.

Meiji Black is their basic dark chocolate

Well, the Meiji Black was as bad as the Hershey’s we all know – with an unnatural aroma of church-lady perfume and a flavor profile that boasts notes of salad oil, tomatoes, vanilla ice cream and marshmallow.  When you compare The Premium Single to that, then yes, these guys have made an honest effort, but they have a way to go yet.  Here’s my advice to Meiji:  you’re on the right track, but please get rid of all the artificial flavors – probably vanillin – and pay some closer attention to fermentation and roasting and you will have something closer to world class.  I’ve read that the quality of beans from the Commonwealth of Dominica can be excellent, so I don’t think there is anything wrong with the bean source.  You just need to work out some bugs the way you know best – practice, refine, purify, repeat.

Notes:

[1] I paid for these bars myself.

[2] Some doubted the validity of Michelin’s praise, but they did award 3 French restaurants their highest honor of 3-stars.

[3] Meiji is pronounced “may gee.”  Well, technically, “may ee gee” spoken quickly as “may gee.”

Searching for Chocolate in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica: Day 5 – CARIBEANS

Caribeans Coffee, Chocolate and Ice Cream

As the last day of our trip approached, the rain started and continued all night and into the day as if to prove beyond a doubt that we were in a real rain forest. This was our cue to find a decent coffee shop – one with an espresso machine but without the continuous party music of the popular reggae bar and grill, Tex Mex.   Caribeans is a little coffee and ice cream shop in town right near the water.  We were told it’s got the best coffee in Puerto Viejo, so with little time to spare, we went straight there.

Don’t expect air conditioning and all dangling blown-glass lights with well-coordinated furniture like Starbucks- if that’s what you need you should probably vacation in Miami instead[1].  Like so many places in Puerto Viejo, this is some kind of converted house or maybe fishshack and has taken on a sandy, organic character of its own.  You can enjoy your drink inside while surfing the web at one of the free internet computers, you can sit out in front and listen to the waves, or you can park yourself at a couple of small tables by the water and watch the surfers over at Playa Negro.

The place serves up a few of life’s basic necessities:  coffee, ice cream and chocolate.  Beyond that they also had baking bars, roasted cacao nibs, tee-shirts and other accessories.  The chocolate comes in an array of flavors including orange, cardamom and other experiments.   Since it was mid-afternoon, I decided to get something cold – an iced cappuccino and sit by the water while my son teased the waves.

But I had two missions this day – one to find some decent java and another to figure out where the chocolate in Puerto Viejo was really coming from.  Clearly the Cocoa House could only make enough for their on-site sales and a bit of rough stuff for exfoliating at the spas, while Cacao Trails couldn’t possibly grow enough cacao for all their tours and Echo Books, despite their fresh and refined results, was clearly not doing bean-to-bar in the back room.  Would the chocolate at Caribeans turn out to be identical to one of the others?  Where is the chocolate factory?

The author with beach head in full bloom talks with Caribeans owner, Kees.

To get a handle on this,  I caught up with the owner, Kees Hessels, an energetic and optimistic guy who gave me a quick tour of the place.  Kees is active in the community working on a mission to bring fairly traded goods from the indigenous people to a broader market.  Kees explained that they used to have a chocolate factory at the shop until recently when their refining machine failed in a blaze of exploding chocolate glory spewing chocolate all over the walls and ceiling. They’ve since moved the factory off site which is just as well since they have bigger equipment now and can make more chocolate [2].

Organic, Fair Trade Chocolate

It seems that the chocolate factory has eluded me once again, but the chocolate hasn’t.  With a plane to catch, there was no time for a full-on tasting, but I did take some notes on their Organic 80% Dark Chocolate bar.

 

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This 80% dark chocolate bar made it home with me from Costa Rica, so it's a bit well-traveled, but you can get an idea of its semi-tubular shape [3

WHAT:  Caribeans Organic Fair Trade Dark Chocolate. 80% Cacao. 25g.  Ingredients: cacao organico y azucar. Where to buy:  Fly to Costa Rica and drive 4-5 hours south from San Jose to Puerto Viejo.  Take the first left over the bridge into town.   Say hi to Kees when you get there.

WHEN:  March 1, 2011

AROMA:  Oh yeah. I’m going to call this the Talamanca aroma from now on – roasted ham, leather, coffee and  tobacco out the wahzoo .  This appears to be characteristic of cacao from this region and is perhaps the best thing about it.  The scent of the stuff now brings back wonderful memories of Costa Rica.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:  Earthy, peat, coffee.

MIDDLE TASTE:  Peat turns into cappuccino.

FINISH:  The fruit arrives early in the finish in the form of slight melon and banana.  The very end is black tea.

TEXTURE:  A bit of a crunch which is typical of the chocolate making style of this area.  You can think of it as more of a minimally processed approach or a traditional Caribbean style. Either way, if done well, you get more of the fruitiness and raw tartness of the original bean.

After tasting this chocolate, I don’t think this bar has anything  to do with any of the others – at least the factory is not the same.  As for the beans, some may be grown just a couple of miles away at Global Creek, a place where you can go for Ecological Tours, but everyone also points to the inland mountains as the source of most beans.   That makes sense since the coastal plantations were devastated by fungus a few decades ago – a tragedy whose effects are only slowly waning.

I could go for a little more sugar and vanilla in this chocolate bar, but it would also work well with coffee as is.  Yes – I’m seeing now –  like a pure chocolate biscotti.  The cardamom bar should work especially well.  Now I have a reason to go back to Caribeans and get a good hot cappuccino to enjoy next to a cardamom dark chocolate bar while sitting out by the waves.  Maybe another trip is just what’s in order to unravel the mystery of where the cacao is coming from, how the chocolate is made … and why.

If you want to try Costa Rician chocolate, but can’t get to Puerto Viejo any time soon, try Theo’s Single-Origin Costa Rica bar.

How to find Caribeans, Puerto Viejo:

Caribeans is on the mini-peninsula between the main road and the water.  Ask where the bus station is.  If you stand with the bus stop (and the ocean) to your right, Caribeans is about  1 1/2 blocks up on the left.

[1] I have nothing against Miami – been there, done that, but it’s miles away from Puerto Viejo, physically and culturally.  One is polished, highly developed and chic (with a bit of a dark underbelly) and another authentic, raw, real and grasping, we hope successfully, onto its roots for dear life against a steady gentle breeze of change.

[2] The shop and the factory are separately owned and operated, but work closely together.

[3] I did the tasting for review before I left Costa Rica.

Coffee to Go: Le Whif Breathable Coffee

Getting ready for some serious jet lag - Le Whif Coffee and a ticket to Shanghai

If there’s anything worse than fourteen and a half hours from Chicago to Shanghai in coach class, it’s sitting in a window seat with a head cold.  It’s been a long time since I’ve sat at the window – probably something to do with my recent demotion from “Platinum” Status on American Airlines or just booking too late.  OK, I’m going to stop whining now since traveling is what I need to do to feed my family.  Now that I’ve been on the ground for a couple of days, my cold is almost gone, but the jet lag lingers – it’s a good time to try the Le Whif Coffee that I tossed in my bag back home.

Since reviewing Le Whif Chocolate last year, I’ve been looking for a good reason to try the coffee version.  I’m still trying to see beyond the fun novelty factor to a practical use for these little things.  There’s something to be said about having a little bit of breathable coffee you can pack in you bag or pocket and pull out anywhere.  For those of you that missed the first article on Le Whif, the concept is simple – you inhale through a smallish tube that’s filled with food particles.  The tiny particles land on your tongue and the surfaces of your mouth so that you get an instant taste of chocolate or coffee.  It occurred to me that Le Whif Coffee might be a fun way to get a little kick of caffeine to fight off the usual symptoms of jet lag and general fatigue that I’ve grown to love on these trips.

One of many Starbucks in Shanghai serves a busy lunchtime crowd

Like most other major cities in the world, Shanghai has more than its share of Starbucks.  On top of that, the breakfast buffet in my hotel has a kickass computerized espresso machine which does a better than decent job whipping up a macchiato from infamous Chinese milk and just-ground coffee beans.  So with no plans to venture outside the city, why would I need another way to get my caffeine kick?  First of all, the picture at the office is a bit different.

On the first morning at the office, a charming older woman whose job duties consist of the completely natural combination of cleaning the place and making coffee, peeks her smiling face into my meeting room, tips her head back while making a drinking gesture and asks, “coffee?” As she runs away, I yell “tea.”  She comes back with a cup of instant coffee with Cremora. Day two arrives and I’m armed with a new word in my limited Chinese vocabulary.  She pops her daily question, which I’m starting to realize is really a statement, and I reply with an equally friendly smile and raised eyebrows: “cha?”  She quickly returns with instant coffee loaded with Cremora.  I thank her and drink up.  So much for bridging the cultural gap.

By mid afternoon, a thick fog comes over my brain and body and there’s no way

Le Whif Coffee surrounded by the chocolate flavors - mint, raspberry and pure chocolate

I’m reaching for more Cremora.  Now’s a time to pull out the Whifs and start whiffing.  The first couple of draws didn’t produce nearly as much flavor as the chocolate versions, so I gave the Whif a few strong shakes and things began to flow (if you do this, make sure to snap it closed before shaking).[1]  The coffee flavor was still lighter than expected and followed by a distinct sweetness.  I’m quite sensitive to caffeine and I have to say that the buzz from these things was pretty mild.  Maybe it was the depth of my jet lag or that fact that, according to the inventor, there’s only about as much caffeine as a very light espresso [2]. Still this is comforting since you don’t want to get completely slammed with caffeine after only a few whiffs – no, this was a nice controlled lift.

I can see these Whifs having a place on trips like this.  There are plenty of times when I can’t get to a convenience shop or vending machine never mind a real café and Le Whif Coffee would provide some instant relief from the fog.  Stuck on the train, in a boring conference or feel compelled to get up at 4 am and start working, like I did? Le Whif is ready to go.  The rest of the time, there’s always Nescafe with Cremora.

Notes:

[1] Definitely follow the instructions that come in box:  you should always hold the Whif horizontally (parallel to the floor) when opening.

[2] As far as I can tell there is  about 100mg of caffeine in a “normal” shot of espresso. This would be about 4-5 times that of a Whif, in my estimation.

[3] I paid for all materials used in the post myself.

[4] Photo of four Whifs is courtesy of LaboGroup / Breathable Foods.

Searching for Chocolate in Costa Rica: Day 4 – Cacao Trails

This guy welcomes you to the orchid garden before sending off to the cacao trees

Cacao Trails Chocolate Tour, Costa Rica

I started the day in great anticipation of doing a big chocolate tour – this one without kids.  After the babysitter was set, we zoomed up north along the well-potholed roads to the Cacao Trails Chocolate Factory and Cultural Museum.  Only 15 minutes from the beach, it’s an easy drive from Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.  If you don’t have a car you can still get there on an arranged tour.  Ask your hotel or innkeeper for details.

Starting in a tropical garden

We lucked out and had an almost private tour with a Swiss couple joining us part way.  The guide led us through the bright, but comfortable Caribbean sun down a trail through an orchid garden, traditional medicine garden, banana trees and cacao trees.  Costa Rica is home to over 1000 different species of orchids and someone had spent time planting 25 or so of them in this garden.  Stepping into the traditional medicine garden we were shown the infamous noni fruit, respected by locals for it’s curative powers, but infamous for its odor.  One quick whiff and I realized it’s the only thing I’ve smelled outside of China that’s reminiscent of stinky tofu.  After a quick look at how sugar was extracted from cane back in the day, we found our way to the cacao trees.

The Return of Chocolate to the Caribbean Coast

In the old plantation where Molina has taken hold, the trees thrive while the pods rot before maturing.

Sometime in the late 70s, cacao farming was decimated by the Monila fungus bringing the chocolate industry on the Caribbean coast to a screeching halt.  Some cacao farming continued in the mountains, but the moist air by the sea allowed the fungus to flourish.  Eventually these cacao plantations were replaced by bananas, an irony since cacao had itself replaced bananas in the 1920′s when Panama disease killed off the banana trees.

These hybrid pods are thriving and will ripen to maturity

Much to our delight, the folk at Cacao Trails have been experimenting with hybrids of different cacao species – trinitario, criollo and forestero, and have found a blend that’s disease resistant.  We were able to walk among healthy cacao trees with growing pods of different colors.  We also strolled past the old plantation, the oldest on the coast, and saw the live cacao trees, decades old, with rotting fruit affected by Monila.  It was still great to see the beauty of a cacao farm that is lost on many people – that the trees can grow in the shad of the rain forest, allowing all the tropical birds, monkeys and sloths to thrive in their natural environment.  Unlike banana plantations which require clear cutting before planting, cacao, and hence chocolate, is an environmentally friendly food if cultivated properly.  It’s wonderful to see a slow revitalization of the cacao industry in Costa Rica as interest in premium and organic chocolate has spiked in recent years.

Making Chocolate by Hand

Genevieve

grinds

beans

The most fun came when we helped out with chocolate making the traditional way.  Now, “traditional” is in the eye of the beholder.  While the afro-Caribbean way would be to grind the roasted beans in something that looks like a meat grinder and then mix it up in a drink with water, we made some kind of a cross between this old way and a rustic European style.  After the beans were roasted over a charcoal fire, they are peeled and put through the hand grinder.  This pure cocoa, which is oozing with cocoa butter, is mixed with  raw sugar, vanilla, rum and dried milk using the back of a spoon and a lot of elbow grease.  Finally, the mixture is flattened out into a cake on a wooden cutting board and cut up into pieces for us to eat.

Finished chocolate ready to eat

This was one of my favorite chocolates of the trip because I knew it was made fresh – right in front of me – and because it felt more like I was eating a food than a candy - with all its luscious cocoa fat, a bit of smokiness, and chewy-crunchy texture.  The guide told us we could have as much as we wanted…and we did.  The tour ends with a parting gift – a couple of rum-flavored truffles made from their hand-ground chocolate.

Back home now with sunburns healed and all of our chocolate from Costa Rica eaten, I’m going to raid my stash for some Theo Chocolate single-origin Costa Rica bars and see what kind of memories it brings back.

For basic information about this tour  including cost and driving directions, see this summary of chocolate tours in the area.

Notes:

[1] The standard tour includes an indigenous peoples museum, but we were short on time, so we skipped it.

[2] I paid for the tour and all chocolate myself.

Searching for Chocolate in Costa Rica: Day 3 – Tsitu Ue Cocoa House

A small pod and flower growing outside the cocoa house

I woke up this morning to a reliable alarm clock of singing jungle birds and told my wife that I’m going out jogging on the gravel roads around town.  She quickly reminded me: “you hate running.”  So,without any further thought or discussion, I discarded the idea and started to formulate a Plan B.   Today I would save my energy for a swim at a tropical waterfall and a visit to the home of an indigenous family making a rustic, traditional chocolate in small batches.

The Tsitu Ue Cocoa House sits just 15-20 minutes north of Puerto Viejo in the village of Hone Creek.  One of the family members showed us their lone cacao tree, explained about some other native plant materials and brought us through an explanation of how chocolate is made according to old traditions in this coastal Costa Rican region.   After a visit to the cacao tree, we stepped inside for a demonstration of chocolate making including a smattering of indigenous culture and history.

One of the family members explains how chocolate is made the traditional way

They didn’t actually make a batch of chocolate while we were there (at least not for our small group), but they did show us the materials and demonstrated some of the steps.  Unlike some other tours, they cut open a cacao pod and let us  have a bean covered with sweet white pulp – a familiar but rare experience for me – tasting a citrus-sweet pulp surrounding a bitter raw bean.

The demonstration provided an interesting perspective on the simplicity of the old, traditional ways vs. the new ways of chocolate making aided by machines.  For example, a modern winnower is a machine that occupies at least half a room and is designed to blow the husk off the beans while breaking it up into bits.  To achieve the same result, our guide placed the roasted beans inside a small burlap sack and smartly whacked them with a stick to break them up and loosen the husks.  Then she put them on a carved wooden tray and tossed them in the air while pulling the tray away so that the lighter husks floated to the dirt floor while the heavier nibs (bits of bean) fell back to the tray.  I wouldn’t want to make 100 kilos of chocolate this way, but the simplicity of the old method was beautiful to see.

Some materials for making chocolate

After the chocolate-making demo, we tasted some samples.  The family might be getting a little bored of all this after a few decades because they seemed to be venturing into increasingly ”creative” flavor combinations from chocolate mixed with ginger to nutmeg, cardamom, coffee, Cos,  and others I can’t remember.  Most of the flavors were quite nice, so we bought a small assortment along with some cocoa butter and roasted beans.  When I got back to the house, I decide to try the “pure” unflavored version so I could  get a feel for the base chocolate.  First, you have to get beyond the coarse, unrefined texture because that’s what traditional chocolate is all about – I have no problems with that.  Putting that aside, this “pure” chocolate turned out to be sugar-free.  Although their sample in the “store” was pleasant enough, the stuff I bought was harsh, bitter almost inedible.  The aroma was of strong burnt coffee, nutmeg and roasted nuts.  The cocoa butter was notably absent leaving a dry, astringent bitter old nugget that ends in acrid wood.  Sorry guys; this stuff was either old or not what I tasted at the Cocoa House.  The other flavors that I bought, especially coffee, were fine.

Still, it was all about the experience of learning more about chocolate and that much was completely satisfying and something that I would recommend without hesitation.

For more information on how to find the house, please see my previous post.

Searching for Chocolate in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica – A Quick Guide to Three Tours

Three Chocolate Tours Near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica 

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica may just be the perfect tropical destination with the beach on one side and the rain forest on the other – a jungle teaming with wildlife, flora and fauna and, if you look closely enough, cacao.  If you’re planning to travel in the Puerto Viejo area, you’ll be blessed with at least three different chocolate tours within 15 minutes drive.  So far, we’ve done two of them on this trip and would recommend them both for different reasons.  Here’s a quick run down of your options for local chocolate tours in the rain forest.  In later posts, I’ll provide some more detail on our experience with each tour.

The short tour at the Cocoa House in Hone Creek works well for young children

Tsitu Ue Cocoa House, Hone Creek

One of the hotel owners dismissively described this tour as “just one house and one tree,” but I don’t think that does it justice.  The tour is given by an indigenous family and includes a short discussion of other plant materials as well as insights into the indigenous culture. 

What I liked

+ Unique stories of the indigenous Talamanca culture.

+ Directly supports a local family.

+ You get to sample a fresh bean with pulp taken right out of the pod.

+ Relatively short tour at 30-45 minutes is perfect for kids or if you don’t have much time.

+ Large variety of handmade products for sale – bars, roasted beans, cocoa butter, drinking cocoa, jewelry, wood crafts, etc.

What could be better

- The presenter’s somewhat limited English made it difficult for her to answer some questions.  For more complicated questions, our personal guide helped translate from Spanish.

- Some of the chocolate for sale was either much too old or otherwise flawed to the point of being inedible.  The samples were fine.  Ask for fresh stuff before buying.

Location:  Travel north out of PV about 10 minutes until you come to the main junction at Hone Creek.  Turn left at the sign for Bri Bri.  The Cocoa House is about 2-3 KM up on the right hand side with a large sign on the street.  You can also use the personal guide that we hired to take you to the Cocoa House and up to a nearby waterfall for a swim.  It’s a nice combination for an afternoon.  Call Kendrick at 8862-2336.  He’s a warm and trustworthy guy.  If you use Kendrick, you will still need your own car.

Cost: about $5 per person.  Children are free, but it may depend upon their age.

Enter the Cacao Trails and learn about tropical plants and chocolate

Cacao Trials CULTURE TOUR AND Chocolate Museum

This tour is set on a beautiful large property that was one of the first cacao farms in all of Costa Rica.  You can see both vibrant cacao trees with growing pods as well as the old plantation affected by the fungus which pretty much shut down the cacao trade in Costa Rica in the late 70′s.  It’s an informative, relaxed tour with knowledgable staff.  There’s also a clean and large restaurant to grab some refreshment before or after the tour.

What I liked

+ You get to participate in chocolate making (but most of it is done by the guide)

+ You eat chocolate made fresh in front of you.

+ You take an easy walk through the jungle and see a variety of plants such as banana trees, orchids, medicinal plants and, of course, cacao.

+ There is an assortment of functional and vintage chocolate making equipment to see.

+ The tour includes an indigenous peoples museum.

+ The 2 – 2.5 hour tour is about the right length (but probably too long for young children).

+ They have guides who are completely fluent in English and Spanish.

+ You are sent home with a free sample.

What Could be Better:

- The orchid garden is hit or miss.  We didn’t see too much in bloom while we were there.

- If you are expecting a smooth, highly refined, delicate European-style chocolate, you will be disappointed.  This about eating something that is ultra fresh and closer to how chocolate was made in the region [2]

Location:  Drive north out of PV for about 15 minutes.  After you pass the large gas station on the left, it’s maybe 3-5 minutes more.  On the right hand side with a large sign that you probably saw on your way into town.  Website.

Cost: about $25 per person.    Children are free, but it may depend upon their age.

Chocorart

We didn’t do this tour because we didn’t have enough time and there is a required minimum of 4 people in your party.  The tour is owned and operated by a swiss couple who has been doing this for more than 15 years, so you can bet they know their chocolate.  The location is easy to get to, especially if you are staying in Playa Chiquita.

What I like

+ Swiss couple speaks English, Spanish, German and French.

+ More information is given on cacao cultivation.

+ Samples include drinking chocolate.

What Could be Better:

- 2.5  hours could be a bit excessive for young children

- Open by appointment only for groups of 4 or more.  Phone: 2750-0075

Location:  At the south end of Playa Chiquita on the right hand side.  It’s not clear if you can drop in to talk to them, but try.  Otherwise, call for a reservation and they may be able to combine you with a larger group.

Cost: about $22 per person.   

Notes:

[1] The word “plantation” is emotionally loaded in US culture, but it seems just about everyone else is using it to describe a place where cacao is cultivated . I’ve tried using “farm,” but that brings up images of cows, pigs, corn and manure.  So, I will cave in and start using “plantation” from here on out.

[2] Sugar and milk solids are added, so this is really a hybrid style having the graininess of an authentic local chocolate, but the sweetness of a European recipe.  Still, it won’t be like anything you’ve ever tasted.

Searching for Chocolate in Costa Rica: Day 2 – Echo Books and Chocolate Lounge

Echo Books Cocles, Costa Rica

At the end of the dirt road where we are staying, within walking distance, is a small bookshop and “lounge” called Echo Books.  It’s got a decent collection of new and used books such as travel guides, Costa Rica guides, fiction and magazines.  They also have a trade-in deal where you get store credit when you bring in your finished beach reads.  Beyond books, there’s  free WiFi, coffee, hot chocolate and handmade chocolate.

After trying a sample in the store, I was convinced to buy a large bar of dark chocolate.  They handed me a bar just pulled out of the fridge, the only reasonable thing to do in a tropical jungle environment despite the air conditioning, and after chatting with the owner a bit, I ran back to the bungalow to give it a taste.

Echo Books is clearly working in small batch to make this single origin dark chocolate. The packaging tells it all without telling much.

By the time I got back here, there was plenty of condensation on the wrapper and the bar had already started to soften into a glorious mess, but what do you expect for 85F+  and high humidity.  It didn’t matter because the stuff is quite impressive for such a small operation.  Now,  I’m eating slices off the end of my jackknife, not because I’m standing deep in the jungle, but because I’m enjoying this chocolate too much to get off the porch,  walk into the bungalow and get a proper knife.  Besides, we can sit here and watch birds and giant blue butterflies fly through the yard 10 feet away.

Here are some impressions on what I’m tasting.

WHAT:  Echo Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao. About 75g.  Ingredients: Since the label contains no information, I’m guessing organic dark chocolate (cacao beans / cacao solids / cacao liquor) sugar, cacao butter, cocoa.  From the texture and flavor, I don’t believe there was any soy lecithin nor vanilla.

I’m neither surprised nor disturbed to see bloom on this bar that was starting to soften in a bath of tropical air. The aroma was a potent mix of coffee, leather and florals, intensified by the heat.

WHEN:  February 18, 2011

OVERALL RATING:  81.

AROMA:  This is obviously fresh stuff with intense coffee, leather, and espresso notes mixed with more subtle lavender and rose.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:  Buttered toast, brown sugar.

MIDDLE TASTE:  Blueberry, butter, almonds, lavender.

FINISH:  Brown sugar, molasses, nuts, cappuccino, and finally – bread & butter.  No bitter or off notes.

TEXTURE:  Smooth with moderately fine grain.  There is no way I can talk about snap or whether it was well-tempered or not since it quickly became soft and pliable in the heat.

Where to buy:  for now they are only available in the shop – Echo Books, Cocles, Costa Rica.  Pass through the town of Puerto Viejo, heading south.  About 1 mile after you leave the busiest stretch of Puerto Viejo,  turn right down the unpaved road just before  Om Yoga.  There is a small sign directing you to Echo Books.  Hours:  11- dark Wednesday to Sunday.  Accessable by car, bike, scooter, or foot.

Grab a coffee, sit outside on their patio under a thatch roof and check your email.

LAST BITE – Eating this bar was proof that you can’t judge a book by its cover.  An impressive effort aided in part by freshness  – I have to give a strong thumbs up to these guys.

The owner told me the cacao comes from a farm inland that is organic and almost has their fair-trade certification.  It’s great to see not only the cacao industry in Costa Rica bouncing back after a fungus devastated the trees in the late 70′s , but it’s also catching right up to the modern day with organic and fair trade operations.

How to get there: to Puerto Viejo and neighboring Cocles and Playa Chiquita:  Fly to San Jose International Airport.  You have a number of options to get down to Puerto Viejo:

Rent a Car:  Having a car in Puerto Viejo is not essential, but very useful since there are a variety of beaches and wildlife preserves to explore.  Your alternative is to do a lot of biking or walking and use paid tours to shuttle you around.  With a car you can make your own schedule and save your energy for the waves.

After leaving customs, you will find the rental car agencies.  We had a horrible time with Economy Rental Car.  They said they would wait for us, but they gave away our car, the last car,  by the time we arrived at midnight leaving us standing around with two tired young kids in tow.

We stayed in San Jose for one night and then negotiated with Economy on the phone the next day. After hanging up on us twice and speaking to us in a semi-belligerent manner, they said they would find us a car if we went to their city rental office.  After another taxi ride and an additional one and a half hours of negotiation with my wife and I taking turns in tag-team fashion, we got a 4-wheel drive for nearly 50% above the original reservation price.  This is part of the adventure I’d rather skip, so pay a little more and go with a better rental company from the start.

From San Jose, head south on route 32 towards Limon.  The highway entrance is not easy to find, so get good directions from the rental agency and be prepared to stop and ask (you can find enough people who know English in the city).  I personally would not start this trip in the dark. Travel 158 KM to Limon and be prepared to drive slowly over mountain passes on often pot-holed roads.  This will take some time, so chill out.

When you are nearly to the center of Limon, you will see a sign for “Puerto Viejo” and “Cocles. ” Take this right and expect a few one-lane bridges along the way.  There is one Y-junction that is unmarked where you should bear left.  Beyond that, just keep on straight and you will know when you have reached Puerto Viejo by the abundance of well-lit restaurants, bars, shops and inns.  Puerto Viejo is something like one hour from Limon.  Maybe less.

Taxi or limo:  as you exit the airport, you will be ambushed by guys telling you that you cannot go out the door with the luggage carts, but they are happy to move your bags on their dollies.  Of course, they will move them about 30 feet to the curb and ask for a tip.  So, unless you see this as some form of charity, politely and forcefully say ”no thanks.”  The official taxi drivers will move your bags for you and you are already going to tip them.   Just before the exit doors, there is a taxi window where you can arrange a cab downtown, for instance, if you arrive at night and need a place to rest before heading south.

Taking a taxi all the way to Puerto Viejo would be very expensive, but you should be able to hire a shuttle service for $100-$200 depending upon how many people are in your party (this a rough estimate – we were quoted $190 for 3 adults and two children).

Public Bus:  This is probably the least expensive route, but I can’t recommend it since it looks uncomfortable and I’m not sure if they stop much. It’s there as an option if you are travelling light.

Once you’re in Puerto Viejo, it’s possible to rent a car, bikes, scooters and maybe a 4-wheel ATV.  Bikes are a popular way to get around on the pot-hole-laden roads and not much slower than driving a car.

In a later post, I’ll give more information on where to stay and what to see in Puerto Viejo.

Notes:

[1] I paid for this chocolate myself.

[2] Day 1, 2, 3… are not necessarily calendar days, just days I found chocolate.

[3] I was unable to sort out what operations they are doing at Echo Books to “make” the chocolate, but this is not bean-to-bar.

Searching for Chocolate in Costa Rica: Day 1 – “Raw” Cacao Beans

Playa Chiquita has a string of sandy resting spots partly shaded by jungle trees and spotted with lagoons - some for swimming, some for beach combing among the coral (foreground).

After two days of travel, we have finally settled into the small Costa Rican town of Puerto Viejo, ready for some RR&C (rest, relaxation and chocolate) [1].  It’s an ideal location, a combination of surfer’s beaches, quiet palm-lined lagoons, dusty beach-side restaurants, eco-tourism and cacao farms.  On the Caribbean side of Central America, Puerto Viejo (“vee-ay-ho”) and neighboring Cocles (“coke-lez”) have a laid-back afro-carribean vibe that attracts a younger, more adventurous crowd.

It’s been ten years since my wife and I first visited Costa Rica - that adventure was on the Pacific side in Jaco – and this time we have two kids in tow and unchartered territory to explore.  I’d like to share with you some of my chocolate experiences during this trip as well as a few travel notes.

Organic Raw Cacao Beans from Costa Rica

On the first day we focused on the search for life’s essentials: a grocery store and the beach.  Chocolate is nearly essential to life, so I grabbed the first thing resembling chocolate – a small sack of organic raw cacao beans at the grocery store for about 2000 Colones [3].  The encouraging instructions on the package say “crack open and eat!”  So I did.

It's easy to crack the shell (left) off the beans by hand revealing the "meat" or nibs (right).

What’s inside is essentially the equivalent to cacao nibs, but these, in my opinion, were over-roasted and way too dark.  Super bitter with some cacao fruit and acid showing through, the only reason I could see to eat these was to get the purported health benefits, but that’s the same reason people eat cod liver oil and I’ve never felt compelled to do that.   When I fed a bit to my almost-3-year-old, he ate it – twice – and didn’t complain, leaving me to wonder how bad could they be?  But, he appears to eat almost anything especially if I tell him it’s chocolate.  On the plus side, the aroma was wonderful – all sweet, nutty and toasty.  I could see cracking these open and putting into your morning cereal, but I can’t see eating them straight.  I have to say I’d pass on these since I can get nibs already cracked out of the bean and ready to go such as Taza’s organic roasted nibs that are roasted at a low temperature for a kinder, fruitier flavor.

As of this writing, I’m a few days into the trip and with the help of persistent warmth and the lush jungle that surrounds our bungalow, I’m trying to maintain a non-judgemental, zen-like attitude towards every moment and life in general.  So, I won’t say the raw cacao bean experience was a failure, neither good nor bad, just part of the adventure.

For the next adventure I will sample some local chocolate from a very small producer.  Also, I’ll provide some travel information and tips as we go, so see the more recent posts for more detail.

Notes:

[1] It shouldn’t have taken two days, but after delayed flights and one minor disaster after another, we arrived to our bungalow, in the dark, but just in time for dinner.

[2] I paid for this chocolate myself.

[3] Costa Rica stopped using cacao beans as currency a long time ago and now use Colones, available at the ATM in town with an exchange rate of about 450-500 Colones to the dollar.  You can also get US Dollars from the ATM.

[4] I won’t try to explain what raw means in this case since many producers don’t provide any information at all.  Clearly they are roasted, but not processed any further than that.  This means they would see less heat than a finished chocolate bar, but the maximum temperture of processing is unknown.