The Chocolate Trail

The Chocolate Trail…

from bean to bar.

The People

• Kuapa Kokoo

Fairtrade farmers from Ghana, West Africa.

Motto = Pa Pa Paa

Meaning ‘best of the best’

The Tree• Your chocolate bar begins

its journey up a tree! Cocoa trees grow in hot, damp climates in countries on or near the equator, such as Ghana and Brazil. Phew! The heat makes it hard work for cocoa farmers who have to keep an eye on the fast-growing weeds and carry heavy cocoa pods around.

• When a cocoa tree is young, it needs the friendly shade of other trees such as coconut and banana trees to protect it from the fierce African sun.

The Tree

• WATCH OUT• The forest floor is a

dangerous place for farmers. There are poisonous snakes, scorpions and all kinds of insects. Cocoa farmers wear Wellington Boots to protect themselves.

Cocoa pods

A cocoa tree produces thousands of tiny white flowers, from which about 20 or 30 develop into cocoa pods. The trees produce pods twice a year between October-February and June-July, they can grow up to 35cm long and are shaped like rugby balls.

The Trade

• Once the beans are dry, farmers pack them into sacks and take them to the Kuapa Kokoo village recorder. The beans are weighed and the farmer is paid.

Chocolate Factory

• The cocoa beans are turned into cocoa butter(which makes chocolate melt in your mouth) and cocoa liquor (which gives chocolate its irresistible taste). In most conventional chocolate bars, vegetable fat is added as well as cocoa butter as it is a cheaper ingredient.

The Supermarket

Consumer: YOU!!

Typical bar of British chocolate =

• 10% cocoa mass• 14% cocoa butter• 25% milk• 45% sugar• 5% vegetable fat

Did you know???

• The word chocolate is from the Aztec word ‘xocolati’. Meaning ‘bitter water’. They had it with chillies!

Did you know???

• Chocolate was brought to Europe by the Spaniard explorer Cortez after he had invaded the Aztecs of South America in 1519.

Did you know???

• Chocolate was introduce to Britain about 1657.

Did you know???

• Chocolate house became fashionable with the wealthy of Europe around the 17th Century. Especially in cities such as Florence, Vienna, Brussels and London.

Did you know???

• In 1828, a Dutchman called Van Houten invented a machine to extract the cocoa butter from the bean. After this chocolate lost some of its exclusiveness and became available to the masses.

Did you know???

• The Quaker families of Britain (the Fry’s, Rowntree’s, Terry’s and Cadbury’s) were quick to show interest. Their primary aim was to promote drinking chocolate as a healthier alternative to gin!

Did you know???

• In 1847 Joseph Fry discovered that by adding chocolate liquor and sugar to cocoa butter, a solid, eating chocolate was formed. The chocolate bar was born!