In the indigenous community of Yorkin, Costa Rica, a small group of women decided to improve their livelihood because of the poor economy. They wrote a grant asking the government for funding to start a tourism business in their small remote community. Their grant was funded and as a result they began a women’s association that introduced tourists to their unique way of life. The families in the community of 210 people raise cocoa to make artisan chocolate for the tourists. With the help of the ladies in the village we learned the technique of making chocolate! The smell and taste of the chocolate was better than any chocolate I had ever had!! We got to crush roasted cocoa beans using a large rock and then grind the cocoa pieces with a hand crack grinder. The chocolate paste was then mixed with sweetened condensed milk. The result was very tasty! We dipped bananas into the chocolate for a sweet treat!
