Nature – Boomer Away

How to host a Chocolate Tasting event

During our travels in South America I took advantage of many opportunities to expand my knowledge of chocolate. We spent most of a week in Mindo, Ecuador, living above the chocolate factory and restaurant on 9 de Octobre street. The cloud forest makes for a lovely natural setting to rest awhile and experience the many beautiful birds, and of course sample the product. (If you go, try to get the hammock room. It overlooks a “pico pico” berry tree, which attracts birds every morning and evening.)

Processed raw chocolate, with sugar and chile

The shop has a small cacao orchard on-site, where we saw the pods growing on the trees, and the processes that go into fermenting, drying, shelling, grinding and processing the cacao into chocolate.

Matt with macadamia nut, in the cacao shed

One night we participated in a traditional process of making a liquid chocolate drink from fermented cacao beans, dried hot chiles, and honey. There’s no milk involved, since this process predates the invention of modern “hot” chocolate.

Onward to Colombia! We were fortunate to score 2 tickets to a new-product rollout/tasting at Tilin Tilin Chocolate in Medellin, Colombia. The tasting sheets looked like this:

Each sample is judged based on the categories on the right, translated from Spanish as follows: Acidic; Floral; Sweet; Fruity; Nutty; and Chocolaty. Intensity is rated from 0 to 5. Then you “describe the texture”; some chocolate is very smooth and buttery, others are powdery or grainy, and some have a plastic texture.

Select about 5 chocolates, all around 60 to 75% cacao with no extra flavorings, nuts or fruits. You want to judge the chocolate itself, and I think you will be surprised at the wide variations in taste and texture that exist. There are a number of varietals of cacao trees such as Forastero, Criollo, and Trinitario. Then there are the rare Nacional beans from Ecuador which are used at Mindo. Additionally, there are single-source beans from certain forests, and each area has its own “terroir” just like grapes and coffee. Some producers specialize in “bean to bar” production, which gives you the unique flavor profile of a certain forest in a certain season, just like a fine wine. I especially enjoy Tilin Tilin and Santander brands from Colombia, and Pacari or Mindo brands from Ecuador. Santander and Pacari are available in grocery stores in their respective countries, and may be available on amazon.com.

You can also do your tasting with any high end bars from your local grocer, and throw in a mass-produced street variety chocolate bar for good fun.

Make note of the ingredients listed on the wrapper. A 70% bar is 70% fermented, processed cacao mass. The remainder is mostly sugar. Some bars also contain cocoa butter, vanilla, and possibly lecithin which alters the texture.

Pacari chocolate from Ecuador, single-region "Los Rios" — Pacari chocolate from Ecuador, single-region “Los Rios”

I have run this process multiple times, and I have improvised until I developed the following rules.

Prepare to do your tasting when people haven’t recently drunk wine or eaten spicy foods. These combinations can be fun too, but they generally reduce your ability to sense the intricacies of the chocolate. (If you’re like us, this probably means you have to start the tasting right away when the guests have arrived.)
Cut the bars into small pieces, no larger than your index fingernail. Put them in small bowls alongside the original wrappers.
Provide the tasters with judging sheets.
Provide a very weakly brewed “tea” of hot water, possibly with a light flavor, or just plain. You need to reset your palate after each tasting. Chocolate melts at normal mouth temperature, which is part of the joy of cacao. It’s easy to lose the right temperature if you drink cold or lukewarm water.
Instruct the tasters to chew the first sample, only until the chocolate starts to melt. Don’t abrade your tongue on the chocolate; doing so will decrease your taste and texture sensations in later tastings. Once the chocolate has significantly (but not completely) melted, roll the chocolate around on your tongue and enjoy. (Tasters will generally be silent during this part of the tasting.)
Make your notes on this sample. Then rinse your mouth with very warm water, and wait at least two minutes for your mouth to normalize. While you’re waiting, discuss your findings on this chocolate; it’s so interesting to find out how other people perceive the same bar. There’s no “right answer”, we each experience the product differently.
Repeat with the next sample.
If you find that each successive sample is less pleasant, you may have achieved tasting overload. Stop and let some time pass before proceeding.

For fun you might end the tasting with a bar that contains nuts, fruits, chile, flavoring, sea salt or cacao nibs.

Investigating the equator

This summer we went to Tennessee to see the total eclipse of the sun, an amazing experience that words fail to describe. This has spurred me to be more curious about the solar system and the glories that we take for granted. So, it’s off to Ecuador, to learn about the equator! (You’re not imagining it; the country was named after the equator itself. I probably learned that in school, but I forgot it along with a lot of other amazing stuff.)

We landed at Quito, and the altitude in the Andes started immediately kicking my butt. It took 3 days until I got my energy back. Climbing off the couch, we went exploring with our new AirBNB friends such as Becca, touring the ancient city center.

Steep streets of old Quito, as storms roll in

We were just in time to observe the Day of the Dead. Families went to pay their respects at the cemeteries, while we indulged in traditional snacks. The bread snacks were fairly bland, but the piping hot colada morada was a keeper, thick, sweet and fruity.

Guaguas (bread babies) and hot Colada Morada

We joined up with a full-day bus trip to the famed street markets at Otavalo. This trip is known for those markets, but along the way we saw so much more. First stop was Cayambe, a scientific research site that is actually right on the equator. As we will see later, that’s… unusual.

Here we heard a barrage of Very Cool science! stuff, including a compelling case for rotating our view of the globe by 90 degrees, so the equator runs from top to bottom. My inner geek was bouncing up and down with joy. I really *got* the fact that every day on the equator has 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. And how amazing is it, that on 2 days of the year, every place on the planet has virtually the same 12 dark/12 light combination. That’s why it’s called the equinox. Simple facts that we may have learned in 2nd grade, but when I go back and immerse myself in this as an adult, it just moves me. For a whole lot more coolness, check out their website.

Also, from this location you can gaze upon Cayambe volcano. It’s the only spot on the entire equator that has snow on it 100% of the year.

Onward, with beautiful vistas and people along the way.

The guide arranged for a local woman to join us on the bus and explain all the detailed points of the Quechua women’s daily apparel. Everything from the gold color of the necklace representing the sun, to the way they tie back their hair, was meaningful.

The Otavalo market is where tourists go to get beautiful local crafts, from fabrics to furniture. We spent 2.5 hours there, and most wished it was longer. Price haggling here isn’t as aggressively cutthroat as in, say, southeast Asia, but you still have to do it. I found that if I simply asked “Puede ser mas barato?”, then yes, it could be cheaper, and the expected price (or thereabouts) was offered up.

The following Saturday we went touring with our AirBNB host Jacobo, his girlfriend Juicy, and fellow roommate/blogger/travelers Lexie and Josh. We were going to see the “other” equatorial sites. But first, another volcano, and a sweet treat.

The Temple of the Sun is a beautiful site, though to be fair it is only a modern representation of ancient times. Here we were presented with a pseudo-scientific “demonstration” about how your body becomes stronger if you hold magical crystals in your hands. I did find the aromatherapy session calming, so I bought a small vial of eucalyptus oil. The massive internal sundial was impressive.

Onward to Mitad del Mundo, a lavish presentation of the equator that alas, isn’t actually on the equator. It was the best they could estimate it back in the 1700s.

Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (not the actual equator)

At the top of the monument is a massive globe.

The world turned on its side; a new perspective

We went off to find the actual equator, and came to the privately-owned Intinan Museum, purporting to be on the equator. After we paid our $4 entry fee I used Google Maps to verify that we were at zero-zero-zero, and something just wasn’t right. You can see on my phone, it says we had to walk 10 minutes to get to the equator. What the heck? (Blue dot equals my location, red pin equals 0-0-0.)

at Intinan Museum (also not the actual equator)

Here you get to see some interesting exhibits about ancient Ecuadorian culture and crafts, and then you get a pile of woo. For example, you can balance an egg on the head of a nail. Is it because you are on the actual equator? Nah, you can do this at home. But it’s quite exciting as you get sucked into the woo!

This is a fun photo op.

Lastly, and with great excitement, the guide demonstrates how the Coriolis effect “makes” water swirl in different directions. She starts with a tub of water, poised above their equator line, and gently pulls the plug. The water goes straight down the drain! Then she walks the tub and bucket a few feet to the north, pours the bucket into the tub, and the water goes down spinning to the right. Lastly, she takes the tub and bucket to the south of the “equator line”, and now the water goes down spinning to the left. I had to review my videos below a couple of times to see the trickery: when she dumps the water into the tub she does it from the side, creating the swirling motion prior to pulling the plug. Clever magic!

Escape to Da Lat, Vietnam

Vietnam is a charming country with an amazing variety of landscapes and cityscapes. Most of it is tropical, and crowded with motorbikes (mostly scooters) and buses and pedestrians. When you want a mountain getaway on the south end of Vietnam you go to Da Lat. The French planned out this hideaway, and its Swiss/French ambience is still apparent.

Temples are not as numerous here as in other Asian locales, but some of them are beautifully situated among these hills.

Clever, patient topiary work at Trúc Lâm Temple

view from the overhead tram at Trúc Lâm Temple

While it is known as “City of eternal spring”, many also call it the “City of flowers”, not solely because of the flower-strewn avenues, but also since it is a major source for florists in Vietnam and overseas as well. The Da Lat Flower Park is a popular site for strolling (and taking selfies). There you will find an associated reference to the only well-known wine of Vietnam. If you go I recommend you replicate this photo, using your own model of course.

If you spend any time in southern Vietnam you will eventually hear of the Easy Rider groups. Your personal driver sets you on the back of his motorcycle and then you’re off to visit the countryside, up and down the mountain roads. Our trip lasted 6 hours, and included 9 stops to see sights and learn about the local life. It’s an exhilarating ride, and once we had done it we were jonesing to do another one.

Harvested flowers preparing for shipment

At a local rice wine manufacturer we pulled samples of hard liquor straight from the spigot as it underwent distilling processes.

Sampling the distilled rice wine from the spigot

We visited a small silk factory where the entire cycle from caterpillar to silk scarf was on view within the site.

Live silkworm with a female and male cocoon (males are bigger)

Soaking the silk cocoons in hot water to unwind the threads

Regrettably, the silkworms are killed in the process.

Dead silkworms are tasty with lemongrass

Nearby we visited a beautiful Chinese Buddhist pagoda. The Budai loomed large over the hillside. His nickname is Laughing Buddha, although he is no relation to Gautama Buddha.

Laughing Buddha at at Linh An Pagoda, Da Lat

Near the end of our trip we toured the Me Linh Coffee Garden, to observe the production of “weasel coffee” (as it’s called in Vietnam), AKA civet coffee. Or, as our guide called it, sh*t coffee. Here the pampered but caged “pets” dine on a never-ending supply of coffee berries, and then (ahem) produce coffee beans out the other end. It’s one of the most expensive coffees in the world, and if you buy it elsewhere it may well be faked. Only here at the source can you be reasonably assured that you’re getting the real thing.

Civet cat or weasel arranges to take a snooze (Me Linh Coffee Garden)

At this farm they grow three varieties of beans for the weasels: Moka, Cherry, and Arabica. You can buy a cup of coffee for $2.60 US, or get the roasted beans for $80 a pound (400,000 VND per 100 grams). If the beans are sourced in the wild and then exported for sale they go for about $180 a pound. Many beans don’t get processed by the weasels, so you can also buy those here at a very reduced price.

We decided to try the Moka and Cherry, after they persuaded us that the Arabica would taste more sour. The Moka was their most popular product, but we found it bitter and we preferred the Cherry. It tasted rich and delicious with fresh whole milk and a light dusting of sugar. The lovely view of the valley enhanced the experience.

Civet cat or weasel coffee at Me Linh Coffee Garden, Da Lat

We lingered there enjoying the springtime air, as the rain clouds held at bay. I admired a couples’ little puppy, and to my surprise the man plopped the little pup right into my arms. It nuzzled against me and drooped its eyelids, and I fell in love with this place.

Someone handed me this dog and now I won’t give it back

Paradise Cave

Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a very recent addition to the must-see places in Vietnam. In 2005 a local man was searching the mountainside for medicinal herbs and discovered Paradise Cave, which stretches for 31 kilometers (19 miles) below the mountain. Opened to the public in 2010, tourists generally get to see the first kilometer, with further depths restricted to more serious spelunkers.

Perspective shot showing just part of the distance

The stalactite fell over, and became part of another

The beauty of Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, holds thousands of karst mountains jutting out of the sea. Most visitors get there via a 4-hour bus ride from Hanoi, or a tour boat from China. It’s best to spend a night on board a yacht anchored far out in the bays so you can soak up the incredible views. Here is a brief tribute to this stunning experience.

Our yacht left harbor with our band of 10 travelers plus a crew of 6. There was space for 20 guests, so we had plenty of room in the cabins, each with an ensuite bathroom.

Fishermen live virtually full-time on their boats, rafted together in a protected bay. They nap and often party by day, then fish at night, drawing in schools of squid and fish with powerful spotlights.

Some of the islands hold caves where you can climb and explore. It’s not for the claustrophobic. Humans lived in these caves in prehistoric times, leaving behind deep layers of snail shells from their dinners.

After a long cruise we reached our day’s destination. As we sat at anchor for the night I enjoyed watching the kayaks glide by.

Old-fashioned fishing boats were juxtaposed against modern kayaks.

Yachts sit in a sheltered bay as the shadows deepen into night.

We had a stellar dinner with our tour group, followed by a round of karaoke in the main cabin. Too soon, it was time to bed down in our queen size cabin. I barely felt the waves on the becalmed ocean.

In the morning we awakened to the sound of seabirds.

On a quiet deck we enjoyed our coffee and reflected on the beautiful surroundings.