Chocolate’s strange journey

Last month I spent two very enjoyable weeks in Bahia, Brazil’s 5^th largest state. It really was a great holiday – there were comedy translations, amazing beaches and one ridiculously beautiful tarantula.

We flew into Salvador, the state capital, and spent a couple of days exploring the city before heading south. Our route followed the coast and as we drove I noticed signs indicating that we were on the Costa do Dendê (Dendê is the fruit of the Oil Palm). Sure enough there were Oil Palms everywhere.

Then, just as we reached our destination, I noticed that the signs had changed and we had crossed into the Costa do Cacau. Of course, we traditionally associate cacau (that’s the Portuguese spelling of cacao/cocoa) with chocolate, but the only real contact I’ve had with this fruit since I’ve been in Brazil has been as a delicious, refreshing drink made from the pulp that surrounds the cocoa beans.

Although we were now on the Cacau Coast, we didn’t see much in the way of cacau. Then one day when we were driving through a small town, I noticed this:

“What?” I imagine you asking (that’s what everyone else in the car said when I pointed this out). You should be directing your attention towards the orange patches on either side of the road.

After we passed 4 or 5 of these orange patches, I finally managed to persuade the others to stop the car so I could take come photos.

Cacau beans drying in the sun.

I’ve since read a little about the chocolate production process. Once the big pods are harvested, the first step is to scoop out the beans (at this stage they are still covered in pulp). The pulpy beans are placed in boxes or covered with banana leaves so that they can ferment. After 2-8 days, they are then spread out to dry. My research source tells me that beans are usually dried on “bamboo mats” but apparently in Bahia they just chuck them out on the road!

I was curious to see what these things look like inside, so we broke one open:

The insides of a cocoa bean. Those little particles get broken up later on and are then called “nibs”.

Once the beans are dried, they are then sold and shipped off around the world for the rest of the processing required to make chocolate (roasting, grinding, mixing with other goodies). Once the process is complete, the finished product is distributed and (in most cases) eventually eaten.

I say “in most cases” because a while back I received a rather strange Press Release. It informed me that there was going to be a “Chocolate Fashion Show” in Salvador! I think the intention was that I would publicise the event on my blog, but I have to say that I didn’t really know what to make of it. I mean, a chocolate fashion show? What’s that then? People wearing chocolate? Well, yes, that’s exactly what it is:

Maybe it’s because she’s pretty, but somehow I find myself willing to go along with this one. It’s interesting I suppose…

This is starting to get weird now and I’m struggling with the concept. I suppose it’s like wearing a sculpture that just happens to be made out of chocolate. And that’s good?

OK, this is just silly! Sorry for being that person who doesn’t get it, but can someone explain what this is all about?

Chocolate is clearly not a material well suited to be used as clothing. Traits that make it unsuitable include: It melts when it comes into contact with warm things (granted, I can think of a niche market here); it is delicious which tempts people and other animals to eat it (there are at most 3 occasions that I can think of where I would want my clothes to be edible). And just think of the mess it would make of your washing machine…

“Run that by me again? You’re going to take my cacau beans away, turn them into chocolate, then bring the chocolate back here and wear it?”