Who doesn’t like chocolate? Friends Cacao Farm. Marco’s Cacao Farm, or in Spanish, Finca, is located outside of Puerto Jiménez on the Osa Peninsula.
I have been friends with Marco for over 14 years. In fact, we first met in La Cuna, Osa Peninsula, while sharing beers at a local restaurant. Back then, his father, Marco Senior, had already owned his 5-hectare property for over 45 years. Although the original dream was simply to grow cocoa trees, the land has flourished significantly since those early days. As a result, they now harvest over 100 cocoa trees alongside hundreds of pineapple plants, lime trees, and mamon chino trees.
Cacaos Tours
Who doesn’t like chocolate? Friends Cacao Farm.
Marco’s family offers tours of their farm for only $20.00. You will not see this in other tour companies. The tour starts with a table full of their fruits to taste. Followed by a walk through their 10 acres of fruit trees. Along the way, they will pick different fruit for you to taste. They have different varieties of oranges; one tree has sweet oranges, my favorite!!
History of the Cacao
Cacao dates back thousands of years. In fact, at one time, it was used as a form of money. It remains sacred today and is used in spiritual practices by native tribes throughout Costa Rica. Furthermore, these tribes considered it a gift from the gods. For this reason, the native tribes of Costa Rica still make a ceremonial drink from cacao, which is traditionally mixed with spices and chili rather than sugar.
The Spanish in the 1500s took control of the Cacao plantations and started to import cacao back to Spain and throughout Europe.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Paltation were exporting cacao throughout the world, shipping the product out of Limon on the Caribbean.
Peak production
In the 1960s through the 70s, production of cocoa was at its peak, exporting cocoa to the USA and Europe.
The Collapse of the Cacoa.
In the late 1970s, a destructive fungal infection (Moniliophthora roreri) wiped out roughly 80% of Costa Rica’s cacao crops. Most farmers switched over to growing bananas and plantains and raising cattle.
From the pod to Chocolate
Who doesn’t like chocolate? Friends Cacao Farm.
The first step is to pick the pods of cocoa and split them open. There will be a white pulp on each seed. The farmer will use banana leaves and wrap the seeds in the banana leaves. Then let it sit outside for 3 to 4 days. At this point, there is a fermentation going on that will make the pulp dissolve and make the chocolate flavor more intense.
After the fermentation period, the seeds are collected and put in the sun for over a week to dry.
The photo above shows the greenhouse drying room for the seeds.
Inside the drying greenhouse. The seeds are laid on plastic sheets and dried for 7 days.
Roasting the seeds
The seeds are put in large pots, covered, and slowly roasted for over 1.5 hrs, at which time they will become almost brittle at this point. Yep, pretty tasty. It has a chocolate, smoky taste. I could eat them like this as a snack all day long.
Ginding the seeds
After the seeds are roasted, they are ground into a powder with manual grinders.
Making Chocolate
Who doesn’t like chocolate? Friends Cacao Farm.
At this stage, you have to add a sweetener and a fat. Powdered sugar mixed with cocoa butter or coconut oil is combined together. Slowly, you heat all the ingredients over medium heat. When you get a nice, even liquid, pour it into molds and put it in the fridge.
Cocoa powder
Selling their products
Marco Senior can be found by the huge mango tree, by the BM grocery store. He will have all the fresh fruits that his farm has for sale on the corner under the Mango tree. When you get to the BM grocery store, you will come to a crossroads. If you go to the right, the road goes to Cabo Mataplao; you will see Marco Senior displaying all his fruit from the Finca.
Booking a tour
To book your tour, you can call Marco Senior, his wife Sonia, or Marco Junior. Tips Install WhatsApp and google translator be fore comong to Costa Rica
- Marco senior. WhatsApp. 506 8759 9494
- Sonia Quiros Vivas WhatsApp 506 8342 8125
- Marco Junior WhatsApp. 506 8663 6620
I will be making some chocolate and adding it to this story. After visiting Marco, we are going fishing in my pang next week, then having a few beers.
Please remember: take only photos, leave only footprints.
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