Wild Child Cacao 2.0 is open! Come and visit us in Amsterdam
On the 1st of December 2023 Wild Child Cacao 2.0 opened!
Wat a fun party it was…
The Dominican Republic: the secret heart of cacao
Malou went to the Dominican Republic to connect with the origin of our cacao. Read about her adventures here!
Hey Wild Child! Malou here. I am writing you from underneeth a palmtree on a white sand beach in the Dominican Republic (the DR) while the sun is slowly setting. Yes, it is as beautiful here as it sounds and looks like on pictures when you google this island (and the one above).
BIGGEST EXPORTERS OF CACAO
And yes, definitely, those beaches are one of the reasons for travelling all the way here ~a well needed and warm holiday~ but obviously I also came here for the cacao! The DR is one of the biggest exporters of organic certified and fine flavor cacao (and the main bean I craft with), but its barely visible if you dont know about it!
NOT PART OF THE CUTURE
Every traveler I meet along the way is surprised by this and had no clue. Apparently, cacao farmers are a bit secluded and chocolate is not that much part of the culture here.
Öko Carib
Luckily I was able to visit the farmers cooperation and fermentation site of Öko Carib, YEES where ALL our chocolate comes from, all the way up in the highlands.
FREAKIN’ AMAZING
It was a 2,5h drive through small colorful villages and lush green wildness everywhere alongside the road. And guess what, on this specific road, cacao was everywheeeere! In every little garden I could see colourful pods hanging on the trees and every ten km or so the aroma’s of fermented cacao beans.
NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE
The wonderful Gaceby of Öko Carib gave us a full tour of the fermentation site and explained how everything worked. Also, they dont have enough people working for them, cause the youth prefers to be in the city, so if you ever want to change jobs you know where to go 😉
You’ll smell like fermented cacao every single day though. We’ll add some pictures with explanations of this process on the Wild Child Cacao Instagram to share this knowledge with you all. I’ve also asked this farmers cooperation if they could find a host for me at a farm for a bit longer, maybe a week or so. I’d love to get some experience on the land while helping with the work!
In the meantime, I keep on exploring life here by visiting amazing waterfalls, driving around on a scooter, eating lots of fresh fish and dancing Bachata at night.
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