The story of Chocolate in St Lucia

The Rabot Estate, on the slopes of a smelly volcano, has been growing cocoa trees since the mid 17th century. There are trees whose parentage has been traced back which were brought from the Americas, Cote d'Ivoire, Trinidad and Venezuala to name but a few. Many wars and battles have been fought over the rightful ownership the Rabot Estate and history tells of the Battle of Fond Doux, here and I could somehow feel very dark vibes as I stood and viewed this lake near the Nursery.


Cocoa grows within a bandwidth 20 degrees either side of the Equator and has its own special needs. It likes its roots warm and damp but cannot take too much sun. It's happy growing under banana, coconut palms and other trees that put nitrogen and moisture into the soil it shares.
When the current owners took possesion of the Rabot Estate, they found it in dire need of help. Many of the trees were too old to give sufficient yield and about a third of the crop was being lost to rat invasion. Rats adore young cocoa pods.
So, with the invaluable assistance of the University of Reading, trees with the most desirable features were indentified. Forastero, a vigorous robust specimen that is disease resistant and produces 90% of the world's "everyday" chocolate.
Criollo, a fragile smaller tree whose output is much less but has some of the finest tasting cocoa there is. And finally Trinitario, a stronger "sport" of Forastero and Criollo that was grown in Trinidad and brought to St Lucia in the 1800's.
So, the Hotel Chocolat "Superbean" was created. It is strong, robust, disease resitant and can produce pods within 2 years, unlike the normal maturity timespan of 5 to 6 years. It's beans have a superior flavour. It is grafted onto Forastero rootstock and with the help of 120 local farmers who have opted to grow Hotel Chocolat's cocoa instead of bananas (the value of which is minimal by comparison) the Chocolat Industry is alive and very well in St Lucia.

There's a guided tour at 9am if anyone wants to join me. We will be off the beaten track so you will need trainers (no Flip flops Loli) and Mosquito repellant !!

 

Jenny,that's marvellous....thanks for sharing...what a fabulous place

 

Excelent report Jenny Looks fab

 

Great post Jenny - I wish you'd posted it a week or so earlier - my friend / neighbour from next door is over there right now, she would have loved your article to read up before going - she's leaving for home tomorrow, but I'm sure she too will have lots to tell about St. Lucia.

a-a

 

A section of my heart and soul in still out there a-a, I wish I could have stayed longer as, no doubt, your neighbour will relate on her return,
Jenny

 

Lovely Jenny

Just in time for the Easter Bunny

Spruce

 

From what I've seen (from behind the lace curtains) I think you'd be OK as a neighbour FC.

 

Jenny - Great read - are you planning to go back at sometime?

 

They are about to build their own Chocolate making factory on site, which will form part of the future tour. It won't be ready for another 5 or 6 years.
But there are so many other places to see aren't there...

 

A planet full!

So, what is your wish list, Jenny? Where is "next" on your compass?

 

We financed the upbringing of a lad in Kathmandu. Pete went to meet him for the first time last February but I couldn't fly ( post foot op). We were speaking to him tonight and I think he wants very much to meet me and introduce me to his new lovely wife.
We will be going out next year I am sure.
This last trip was just a one off that I wanted to do. No current trips in mind at the moment Mum,
Jenny

 

How wonderful, Jenny! I really hope you are able to meet him, and his wife, (for purely selfish reasons, because I want to sink into your delightful descriptions and pictures of your travels ).

 

thank you Mum. I am not usually this fired up but I think/ hope you ( GC ) will like the next chapter of the St L. story,
Jenny

 

Like? Like!? We're depending on it!!!!

Go write!!