Costa Rica is known for its beaches and its coffee … but what of its forests and chocolate? The country is littered with national parks, and 25% of its landmass is protected — the highest in the world — making the country a treat for jungle enthusiasts. Costa Rica was also at the southern tip of the cacao-producing region of colonial Mesoamerica, meaning it’s rich in chocolate culture. Fusing the two seemed like the only sensible thing to do, so I went on a rainforest tropical adventure with chocolate tasting from San José.
The majesty of the forest needs no introduction
As soon as Manuel picked me up in the San José town center, I knew I’d struck lucky — he is an affable man who has acquired a great understanding of tourism in Costa Rica through studying and working in the field, and chatting to him on the way to the Tirimbina Biological Reserve in Sarapiquí served as an education in addition to being fun. By the time we arrived, I’d gained some insights into Costa Rican culture and heard plenty of crazy stories. After the formalities at the ticket desk, we arrived at the entry into the national park:
Huge suspension bridge – not for the faint of heart!
It wasn’t long after starting the tour through the forest that I realized I’d struck lucky again — our walk around the park yielded more different species than I could have asked for. They were all there: venomous blue jeans frogs; a tamagá snake, also venomous, but fairly docile; a sloth; a pair of momotos, highly territorial birds that nest on the ground, inside trees; a troop of howling monkeys; a huge train of leafcutter ants; and a single Tirimbina butterfly, a newly discovered species that resides only in this park, and about which little is known. The forest itself is majestic, and many of the enormous Ceiba trees and vines are sights to behold in themselves.
Then came the chocolate. I wasn’t sure what to expect but supposed it would involve watching other people going through various stages of the process. However, it was a delightfully complete presentation, interweaving information about the chocolate-making process, history, hands-on activities and, crucially, a lot of tasting.
The spread that greeted us
We peeled and ate our own dry cocoa beans (very bitter!), saw and participated in the pressing and grinding, and made our own hot chocolate drink. I knew this was the original way of consuming chocolate, but I didn’t know one could mix in corn starch, chili powder, black pepper, nutmeg and vanilla essence, all of them at the same time in varying degrees. I also didn’t know that the foam on top of hot chocolate, like a cappuccino, was traditionally attained by pouring the chocolate from one recipient to another from as high up as possible, akin to the Asturian tradition of escanciar, pouring cider from high up.
Three stages in action: pressing, grinding and foaming
My favorite moment was when some toucans came by just as we were trying the heavenly melted chocolate concoction we were offered. Or perhaps it was receiving a charming little souvenir, a small bag of cocoa seeds (three of which could buy you a rabbit and a hundred of which could buy you a slave in colonial times). Then again, maybe it was remembering that lunch was included, and looking back at a great day with Miguel over a traditional Costa Rican casado at a nearby restaurant. In any case, I am reminded of Borat’s immortal words: great success!
- Contributed by Joe Wareham
San José Tropical Adventure with Chocolate Tasting from Costa Rica Things to Do
