ARTISTA EL CACAO
The cacao fruit tree (Theobroma Cacao) originated east of the Andes millions of years ago and archaeologists believe the Mayans were drinking chocolate as early as 400BC. Christopher Columbus was probably the first outsider but it wasn’t until 1528 that xocoatl, Aztec drinking chocolate, reached Europe. Europeans, who added sugar to the mix and couldn’t get enough of it, rushed to cultivate cacao overseas. Nowadays climate change, ageing trees, disease and young people’s unwillingness to work in the fields, is changing production patterns in traditional cacao-producing countries, such as the Ivory Coast, Ghana and Indonesia, and paving the way for Colombia.
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Colombian cacao production has focused on its domestic market for years because Colombians love chocolate. The most popular form is Colombian-style drinking chocolate, prepared by breaking a chunk of cocoa from a block and heating it with milk or agua de panela (made from unrefined sugar) Once it’s hot, the chocolate is frothed with a molinillo and served with different kinds of typical foods and preparations like arepa con queso, tamal, bread or with a complete breakfast that includes caldo or eggs.