Cacao

Cacao is grown all over this southern region of Ecuador. It was originally cultivated in Guayaquil and spread out from there. In the 1950’s a fungus more or less wiped out the Cacao variety they grew and they moved to produce two other varieties predominantly, CCN 51 and Aroma Cacao which were resistant to the fungus . CCN 51 is genetically modified and has a higher yield and Aroma is more pure, higher quality and smaller yield.
The Cacao pod is harvested when it is red, it is split in two to expose a milky white membrane that covers the seed. This pulp tastes citrusy and sweet. The seed though is what makes chocolate. The seeds and pulp are first fermented by placing the mixture in containers covered with banana leaves. They sit for a bit when the pulp is dissolved into a liquor and the seeds fully exposed. Then comes drying which is done in the sun.

Drying, flipping, drying, flipping.

Then roasting to make it easier to remove the husk.

Then the grinding.

Simple and pure.
We got to taste the freshly roasted and ground cacao and found it not to be bitter at all, it was delicious I could have eaten the whole pot.