Video from the thermal waters during the Cacao Tour
2:53 PM
2:00 PM
First Chocolate Workshop - A success !!!
Yesterday, we had our first chocolate workshop with 5 future Chocolatiers and our 2 teachers: Daphne and Armando.
The workshop was a real success and the chocolate factory was really well decorated and prepared for welcoming our first customers.
During this workshop, Daphne explained them about the Cacao tree, the Cacao pods and how we obtain fermented cacao beans, the base for making a delicious chocolate.
Then everybody toasted the cacao beans on a comal in one of the patio and then pealed the cacao beans.
We prepared a cacao husk tea for everybody with the cacao husk. We then ground the cacao nibs to obtain a thick paste that we used for preparing different types of chocolate drinks (hot, cold nd Mayan style).
Finally, we had prepared some well-ground pure cacao paste for people to prepare their own chocolate adding sugar, vanilla, peanuts, cashews, coffee beans, almonds...
At the end of the chocolate workshop, everybody is going to leave with 16 chocolate that they made themselves.
We are now waiting for other future "chocolatier" and have some more fun preparing good organic chocolate.
The workshop was a real success and the chocolate factory was really well decorated and prepared for welcoming our first customers.
During this workshop, Daphne explained them about the Cacao tree, the Cacao pods and how we obtain fermented cacao beans, the base for making a delicious chocolate.
Then everybody toasted the cacao beans on a comal in one of the patio and then pealed the cacao beans.
We prepared a cacao husk tea for everybody with the cacao husk. We then ground the cacao nibs to obtain a thick paste that we used for preparing different types of chocolate drinks (hot, cold nd Mayan style).
Finally, we had prepared some well-ground pure cacao paste for people to prepare their own chocolate adding sugar, vanilla, peanuts, cashews, coffee beans, almonds...
At the end of the chocolate workshop, everybody is going to leave with 16 chocolate that they made themselves.
We are now waiting for other future "chocolatier" and have some more fun preparing good organic chocolate.
11:45 AM
A new Cacao Tree at ChocoMuseo
Pablo Carransa and his wooden cacao tree
Yesterday, we welcomed our new cacao tree made by Pablo Carransa, a reknowned artist from Nandasmo.
The tree has a real cacao trunk but the pods, flowers, leaves and cherelles are made out of wood, leather, fabric...
The result is really impressive for a 2.5 m high cacao tree.
6:30 PM
3:01 PM
First Cacao Farm Tour at la Calera
Yesterday we had our first Cacao Farm Tour with 5 clients from USA and Thailand.
The tour started with 20 minutes of a nice and fresh rain. After that, the sun came out for the whole day to follow us on our trip from the shores fo the lake Cocibolca to the Casa Hacienda passing through the Cacao plantations.
This time, the highlights of the trip were:
This time, the highlights of the trip were:
- The Congo monkeys that we saw twice: once while waiting for the rain to stop and the second time while swimming in the natural water press inside the rainforest: A unique moment!
- All the butterflies we saw during the whole day: Blue, yellow, big, small, red... Some even came to eat with us and even on the face of Ana one of our client.
- Tasting the white pulp around the beans inside the cacao pod: A culinary must!
- Thanks to the beautiful weather we had, the view over las Isletas was absolutely gorgeous.
- Finally, the swim in the thermal waters near the lake just before going back to Granada was really fantastic with this amazing feeling of being alone in the wild.
We all really enjoyed our trip and hope that a lot of other people will go on learning and having fun like we did today.
That's all folks! Next tour soon...
That's all folks! Next tour soon...
11:46 AM
11:28 AM
10:38 AM
10:24 AM
9:53 AM
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9:47 AM
9:38 AM
8:17 AM
7:01 AM
12:48 PM
10:22 AM
8:47 AM
Opening day @ ChocoMuseo
The 17th of July is an important day for ChocoMuseo.
We opened and had quite a good success for a first day. Approximately 50 visitors came to see the brand new ChocoMuseo.
Here are some pictures of our first day.
For this first day we offered some chocolate cakes and people enjoyed coming in the factory room and smell the good taste of the chocolate.
We opened and had quite a good success for a first day. Approximately 50 visitors came to see the brand new ChocoMuseo.
Here are some pictures of our first day.
For this first day we offered some chocolate cakes and people enjoyed coming in the factory room and smell the good taste of the chocolate.
Now it is time to close and go to bed !!!
2:55 PM
ChocoMuseo - Work in progress
2:49 PM
Preparing the Cacao Tour @ La Calera
Last Saturday, we went to the private nature reserve La Calera at the bottom of Mombacho Volcan.
Ervin, guide and guard of the reserve was waiting for us at the Marina Cocibolca port.
Ervin, guide and guard of the reserve was waiting for us at the Marina Cocibolca port.
The objective of the day was to prepare the cacao tour we will organise in las isletas in Granada.
We first took a boat across las isletas where we could enjoy birdwatching.
Then wneh we arrived at La Calera, the horses were waiting for us for a horse back ride through the tropical rainforest.
After 30 minutes we arrived to the cacao plantations where we could admire this fantastic tree with pods growing on the trunk.
We went on our trip towards La Casa Hacienda where the lunch will be taken with a view overlooking las Isletas. A natural water pool can be found 100 meters from La Hacienda in the middle of the rainforest (like Ojo de Agua on Ometepe Island).
We took our horses back and learnt more about plantains and coffee growing. We then went to swim in the natural volcanic thermal waters for a while.
Ervin was there waiting for us in a small boat for a boat ride through the mangrove forest.
Our trip for you will finish with a nice tasting of artisanal chocolate made at ChocoMuseo.
More information on the tour will be available soon.
This tour will be the most interesting and complete tour in Granada.
11:06 AM
On the road to Matiguas
Last week, we went to get our cacao in the north of Nicaragua in Matiguas.
Matiguas is situated about 4 hours drive from Granada.
We went to visit la "Cooperativa Cacaotera la Campesina"
The cacao produced by the 500 farmers is mainly organic and certified by BioLatina.
It is known to have a great flavour and is a mix of Criollo type and Forastero type.
For our chocolate at ChocoMuseo we bought 100% Organic Cacao
Then we went to visit one of the cacao plantation near Rio Blanco (30 minutes from La Campesina) : It is Armando's farm with 5.6 Hectares of cacao plantation (about 6000 cacao trees)
Armando showed us his plantation and also the bio fertilizer he was using for its trees to grow.
Armando has one of the most productive cacao plantation and the seeds from his trees are used to improve genetically the plantation of the cooperativa.
In the museum, you will be able to read more about "la Cooperativa Cacaotera la Campesina" and also on Armando's farm
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