BC found at Puerto Escondido. The Mesoamerican people made cacao into chocolate drinks and used the byproducts to create, among other things, alcohol.
The Aztecs made a drink known as xocolatl, and it is via the Spanish conquistadors that xocolatl entered Europe to eventually become the chocolate characterized by the elegance of individual chocolatiers and the mass-producing companies, such as Cadbury, Van Houten and Nestlé. Today about two-thirds of the world’s entire cacao is produced in West Africa, but it is widely grown throughout the
tropics, including Bali, which begs the question why has there been no truly unique and outstanding Balinese chocolate?
A few years ago Australian chocolate maker Toby Garritt set out to put this right, and from his visionary seeds a true Balinese gem is now emerging. Located within the Bali Elephant Camp at Carangsari village, a few miles north of the famed Sangeh monkey forest, Toby has created a small factory unit complete with a rather stylish café where he invites visitors to learn about, sample and create real chocolate.
The Pod Chocolate experience brings Garritt’s creation to life. The tour takes the visitor from cacao bean to final creation and also explains how they are supporting local farmers to develop sustainable and higher value produce. It is a hands-on experience and not just one for the kids, and of course there is lashings of wonderful, real, high quality Balinese chocolate to be tried. Pod Chocolate has already made a significant impact on the high-end hotel market, with brands such as Le Meridien not only selling their chocolate but using them to create signature and truly Balinese deserts.
