Opportunity for Innovation and Expansion
The Covid-19 crisis and lock down presented an excellent opportunity for innovation and expansion of the Café Vega brand. We have been aware for some time that many cocoa farmers in Trinidad and Tobago were having challenges in selling their fermented and dried cocoa beans. As some of you may know, Trinidad and Tobago is known for its fine flavour cocoa and in particular, its Trinitario cocoa beans including the Trinidad Select Hybrids (TSH). Trinidad and Tobago also has the largest cocoa germplasm collection in the world…about 2,500 cultivars! See https://sta.uwi.edu/cru/international-cocoa-genebank
Dried cocoa beans were purchased from farmers who demonstrated good practices in the harvesting, fermentation and drying of the beans, helping in a small way, to alleviate the stress of a few farmers in getting a sale for their cocoa beans. These dried beans were then used to make our local “cocoa tea”.
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| Fermented and dried cocoa beans |
Cocoa Tea
So what is “cocoa tea”? People in the northern countries know of hot chocolate made from a variety of powdered cocoa extract. In the Caribbean, particularly in the rural areas of Trinidad where cocoa was grown, the locals made a ‘tea’ from the roasted, shelled (dehusked) and ground cocoa beans. In the old days the ground cocoa beans were done using a large wooden mortar and pestle, where the constant pounding of the beans in the mortar (with added spices such as nutmeg, bay leaf, cinnamon and tonka bean), created a course, pasty and oily (from the inherent cocoa butter in the beans) substance that was moulded into balls or oval shapes. These were then dried in the sun and later grated into a fine powder when required and boiled in water. Condensed milk or just milk and sugar were then added to create the local cocoa tea.
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| Roasted and shelled (dehusked) cocoa beans |
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| Wooden mortar and pestle |
New Product
Café Vega has recently started the sale of its Cocoa Té, through its network of clients, regrettably a public launch of the product has not yet been done due to the current Covid-19 situation. We have also started on the preparation of a 60% cocoa milk chocolate that is presently undergoing taste testing among a range of potential clientele. So far, the responses have been overwhelmingly supportive. This will likely be a limited edition chocolate that may be available to the public later this year.
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| Café Vega chocolates...samplers edition! |
Some of our clients have asked for a Café Vega mocha product. However, we feel that with our current line of coffee and now the Cocoa Té, clients may be inspired to create their own mocha blends and amaze their family and friends!
