raw cacao beans

Tomorrow these raw cacao beans will be treated by the sun's heat. I think I wrote something about my ritual in sun-drying the beans. I slowly spread the beans on a container up on my roof. As I spread it, I chant this..."Let these beans get that energy from the powerful sun to bring out their best aroma and taste. I believe that these beans are given by the Almighty for its worthiness and the heat from the sun help to polish it more. I bless these beans that it will be able to serve its purpose of giving health to my children and my customers. And give pleasure to my children and customers".

I do not produce in bulk. I wanted my "chocolates de cielo" to have the same home-made quality that my grandmothers used to do. Their "tableas" (chocolate molds) were slowly and individually molded to the best of their care. When I was a young child, I use to look at them for many hours and wait for those "tableas" to stiffen.

Since I was a kid, I thought I was always amazed at the transformation of the beans to the liquid chocolate and to the molded one. Maybe because I also see life that way. People can be changed and I always hope that it will be for the better.