![]() Did you ever notice there are no recipes for leftover chocolate? That’s because it doesn’t exist, at least not in my family. When Rich first started coming to our summer reunions, he showed up with a two-layer box of See’s Nuts & Chews for each of my sisters. “I’m not saying I can be bought,” one said. “But this is a good down payment.” Over the years I’ve written about chocolate’s surprising health benefits, how the French use it to lose weight, and the heady delights of a Nativity scene composed of 1500 kilos of chocolate. But now I find I’ve just been scratching the surface. Canadian journalist Doreen Pendgracs has been traveling the world digging deep into the history, cultivation, production, and joys of cacao in all its many forms. In the spirit of selfless research, she’s even gone to spas where she was bathed from head to foot in warm, molten chocolate. (I know! That’s my idea of heaven, too!) I felt I owed it to you, my readers, to find out more about Doreen’s fieldwork, which is chronicled in her award-winning book Chocolatour: A Quest for the World’s Best Chocolate. This first volume of her trilogy covers Europe; the second, due out in March, focuses on the Americas and the Caribbean. What made you decide to write about travel and chocolate? I embarked on my freelance writing career in 1993, and fortunately one of my editors assigned me a story that opened the door to travel writing. It was about a lodge up in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada—Polar Bear Capital of the World. I remember going dogsledding in Churchill when it was -66 degrees Celsius (that’s almost -87F with the windchill factored in!). I was never colder in my life. Not every trip of a travel writer is glamorous! Later I decided to combine my love of travel writing with my love of chocolate; I would make it my mission to educate the travelling public and chocolate lovers around the world about all the different aspects of chocolate travel. That includes interviewing hundreds of chocolatiers, visiting cacao plantations in various growing regions, attending chocolate festivals, attractions, and events, and discovering every delectable aspect of chocolate around the world, my favorite being chocolate spas. What spa experience was the most drop-dead fabulous? I’ve had some pretty decadent chocolate body treatments in some pretty fancy spas, but the one that stands out for me most was at the Pure Jungle Spa in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. The cocoa was so fresh that the entire experience was totally intoxicating. The aroma of the freshly pressed cocoa beans was pure and intense, and as the cocoa seeped into my pores, a beautifully natural high overtook me. Cocoa beans release serotonin and dopamine into the body, and whether we ingest it orally or through our pores, we become overtaken by a natural high if we consume enough of it. So there I was — in the outdoor jungle shower — trying to wash off the cocoa that had been slathered onto my body while laughing hysterically in a totally joyous state. Where have you found the most amazing chocolate culture? I’d have to say Switzerland. The Swiss live and breathe chocolate. They are the highest consumers of chocolate in the world, chocolate festivals and events are common, and the quality of Swiss chocolate is superb. But I think you have to go where cocoa is grown for completely authentic cocoa culture, and the best chocolate spas and cocoa cuisine I’ve encountered (to date) are in the Caribbean. Hotel Chocolat Boucan in St. Lucia is a perfect example. They grow the cocoa close to the resort, the on-site spa specializes in treatments that feature cocoa, you can learn how to make chocolate right from the cocoa beans, and cocoa cuisine is the basis of the menu. An all-cocoa dinner? Is that too much of a good thing? Absolutely not! When done well, each course features a different side of chocolate. There will be courses that are savory or sultry. A couple of the best I’ve ever had were in Winnipeg: chocolate ravioli and cocoa-rubbed ribs (chocolate ravioli filled with orange and thyme, and duck finished with a Frangelico cream sauce garnished with cocoa nibs, hazelnuts, and pea shoots). You’re gearing up to lead chocolate tours around the world. What’s the plan? Yes, I would indeed like to lead small groups on chocolate travel tours — to be the ambassador and guide who helps educate, entertain, and entice chocolate lovers to experience the ever-changing world of chocolate in a fun yet meaningful way. Up until this point in time, I had family obligations that prevented me from being away too much. And at present, I am working on volume II of my trilogy. But within a year, I do expect to lead the first-ever Chocolatour customized group adventure abroad. What about the worrying articles suggesting climate change may endanger the world’s chocolate supply? Climate change may be wreaking havoc in some growing regions like Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, where hurricanes have completely ravaged cacao crops on occasion. But climate change has also seen cacao being grown in regions where it previously did not grow like Hawaii, and more recently, Miami, Florida. So I don’t think we chocolate lovers have to panic at this point in time. It is quite likely that the price of quality chocolate will continue to rise, but I don’t think we’ll run out of it any time soon. Whew! Looks like chocolate isn’t headed for extinction (yet). But just in case, I have added it to the modest stockpile of survival food in my Catastrophe-Preparedness Kit. And I’m keeping plenty on hand in my snack cupboard, too. Because in these uncertain times, one thing I know I can rely on is the healing power of chocolate to sustain me during dark days and add joy to everything from family reunions to world travel. Bon appétit! Unlike some of my better-organized and more practical blogger friends, I do not accept sponsorships or product placement of any kind. Any products or services I mention in my blog, books, or website are there solely because I believe you might find them interesting and useful in planning your own adventures. YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY
11 Comments
1/9/2019 09:15:07 pm
Thanks so much for profiling me on your amazing site, Karen. (Complete with slideshow!)
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Jean
1/10/2019 06:33:51 am
Doreen...I'm a friend of Karen's...I am in awe of your focus but even more of that wonderful chocolate bath photo !!! Rather like a California mud bath!
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1/10/2019 05:55:13 pm
Hi Jean and thanks for your comments. I assure you. The molten cocoa body wrap smells a heck of a lot better than a mud bath!!! I've had a few body wraps made with various muds and other concoctions and nothing comes close to the natural euphoric feeling you get as that cocoa seeps into your pores and does its work. :-)
Karen McCann
1/10/2019 07:06:27 am
Than you for the interview, Doreen! It was terrific fun with plenty of vicarious thrills. It's been great getting to know you, at least virtually, and given how much the two of us travel, I suspect we will meet up irl (in real life) one of these days! In the meantime, keep up the good work and keep posting about new and splendiferous ways to enjoy the world's favorite comfort food.
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Jean
1/10/2019 06:36:22 am
Who could not be entranced by Doreen's chocolate bath photo? I wrote her...
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Karen McCann
1/10/2019 07:08:50 am
Why not do both? We could nibble and wallow at the same time! Sounds like a plan, Jean.
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1/13/2019 06:02:12 pm
I've been covered in slimy mud at the Dead Sea beach, and I wouldn't have a problem slathering myself in melted chocolate apart from feeling that it is such a waste! Eat it! I have a question: Are there really people who do not love chocolate? And how is that possible?
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1/13/2019 06:21:44 pm
Hello MF! I think that just as with wine, those experimenting with chocolate may need to try different types and different origins before they find just the right chocolate that ticks all the right boxes for their taste buds. Certain cacao origins like Madagascar and Peru will produce a more acidic tasting chocolate. I happen to like that, but many prefer a more flat-lined flavour profile that you will get with chocolate made from beans grown in Ecuador (for example.) Lots to learn, lots to enjoy!
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Last year while staying with our son in Florida (USA) after hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, my husband and I went to Orlando for a weekend. Decided to stay away from the amusement parks, and get to know the "rest" of the city. Were surprised to learn of a chocolate museum, and visited it. It is a marvellous place . Were given a talk about cacao, where and how it is grown, and then showed us about 12 large-more than 6 ft tall-replicas of famous world buildings made of chocolate: Eiffel tower, Big Ben, etc. They were made in Europe and last around 5 years. It was amazing. Then gave us samples of different chocolates ( which they sell) showed us how chocolate is make. You can eat lunch with all dishes having chocolate. And of course buy chocolates from around the world. It is a place I will gldly visit again.
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2/1/2019 05:08:36 pm
Hello Conchy. I've heard of the Orlando Chocolate Museum but have not yet been there. Thx for the great report.
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Karen McCann
2/1/2019 07:41:22 pm
Conchy, I am definitely adding this to my short list. Replicas of world monuments in chocolate — and free samples!?! Sounds like good fun to me.
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I'm an American travel writer based in Spain and currently living in California. As we journey through the pandemic together, my blog provides a regular supply of survival tips, comfort food recipes, and the wry humor we all need to lighten our hearts on dark days. I think of my blog as an ongoing conversation, so please join in and leave comments at the end of my posts. Sign up below to get updates when I publish anything new. BLOG ARCHIVES
January 2021
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