The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Exploring St. Lucia
Chocolate lovers discover how cocoa pods are transformed into a delicious treat.
Learn how to make chocolate, discover pristine beaches on Caribbean island.
The remote Caribbean island of St. Lucia has long been known for its luxury resorts, exquisite beaches and as a favorite stop for the yachting set, but it’s also renowned for something near and dear to my heart — chocolate.
The Tree-to-Bar tour at Boucan by Hotel Chocolat guides chocolate lovers through the process of turning ripe cocoa pods into a chocolate bar. I quickly learned farming, harvesting, fermenting and drying cacao beans is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and I’ll never again bite into a piece of chocolate without reflecting on that. Having said that, the tour was the most fun I had in St. Lucia without being in my bathing suit.
Boucan, a luxury boutique hotel, sits on the 140-acre Rabot Estate, one of St. Lucia’s oldest cocoa plantations. It had been long abandoned when the hotel opened in 2011, but it’s now a working cocoa plantation once more and a popular agritourism attraction. The company has actually spearheaded a renaissance of the island’s storied chocolate trade by turning around the declining cocoa growing industry and making it profitable for St. Lucian farmers once more.
At the beginning of the tour, I was looking quizzically at the yellow, football-shaped cacao pods on the table before me, wondering what the inside could hold, when my tour guide, Merle, suddenly revealed the mystery. She hacked through the thick skin with a knife, exposing clusters of soft, white flesh called mucilage that encases the beans. There are about 40 beans in each pod. She picked off the slimy segments and offered samples. The fruity, citrusy flavor was wholly unexpected. It tasted nothing like the sweet, chocolate confection it would become, but it was still delicious.
Next, Merle, demonstrated the first step in turning roasted cocoa nibs into chocolate candy, crushing them in a heated mortar and pestle. I got down to the business of smashing and grinding – doing a pretty darn good job, I thought.
Merle appeared at my elbow. “Need some help?”
I politely declined, thinking I had things under control, but when she asked again, I figured I must be doing something wrong, so I relinquished my mortar and pestle. Merle attacked the cocoa beans with twice the muscle and three times the speed. The table rattled as she showed those beans who’s boss. Her elbow grease soon transformed the nibs into a smooth pool of chocolate. I sheepishly realized she insisted on “helping” because if she waited for me, I would still be there pounding when the next tour started.
We stirred in cocoa butter and sugar, then poured the molten river of glossy chocolate into a mold that Merle whisked away to a refrigerator where it would form a solid bar.
In the meantime, I ordered a drink at the hotel’s open-air restaurant that offers a magnificent view of the Pitons, the volcanic mountains that are an icon of St. Lucia’s unspoiled beauty.
The list of exotic, cacao-infused libations included a cacao martini, a chocolate daiquiri and even a cacao bellini.
When Merle delivered my chocolate bar, I thought it was the best candy I had ever tasted – probably because I had come to understand that these confections require a great deal of time, effort and patience.
Capella Marigot Bay Resort and Marina
Cocoa is good for more than chocolate treats; it’s also good for your skin. At Auriga Spa, one of many amenities at Capella Marigot Bay Resort and Marina, I made my own body scrub from cocoa and other natural, indigenous ingredients believed to have restorative qualities.
Cocoa is rich in fats and has long been used as a nourishing moisturizer. The lovely, smooth skin of the spa attendants made me a believer in its benefits. I poured in a healthy dose of sugar for exfoliation, added neem, a vitamin-rich, anti-aging plant, and finished off the strange concoction with ylang-ylang, the fragrant flower used in one of the world’s most famous perfumes, Chanel No. 5.
At last, I had my scrub. It didn’t look pretty, but I hoped I would after using it. It was a glob of brown goo, but it smelled like a tropical paradise, and I liked that it was all-natural, free of artificial colors and fillers. As promised, the beautifying treatment left my skin glowing.
Of course, cocoa is only one of the island’s many attractions. After I indulged myself by eating it and practically bathing in it, I thought it was time for a change of pace, so I made my way to Pigeon Island National Landmark. The 44-acre hilltop islet is dotted by 18th-century ruins from the British colonial era when it was used as a naval base. The British launched numerous attacks on their French rivals who also staked a claim to the island. St. Lucia changed hands between the two opposing governments many times until the Treaty of Paris finally ceded the island to the British in 1814.
Even if you aren’t a history buff, it’s worth the trip just to climb Fort Rodney Hill and enjoy the bird’seye view of a tranquil cerulean sea rimmed with golden sand.
Later, I set off for the beach at Anse Chastanet, a resort near the west coast town of Soufriere, to participate in one of St. Lucia’s most popular activities – snorkeling.
I considered a snorkeling boat tour, but fellow beach-goers reported that the snorkeling was great right off the coastline, so I gave it a try. They were right. The Caribbean Sea was calm and clear, and I didn’t have to swim far to get to pristine coral reefs teeming with marine life. Some of the fish species donned such bright, glowing colors, they almost seemed illuminated from the inside.
As a snorkeling destination, St. Lucia doesn’t have the same stellar reputation as some other Caribbean islands, but perhaps it should.
Anse Chastanet’s neighboring sister resort, Jade Mountain, is the last word in luxury on St. Lucia. I have stayed at upscale resorts on many Caribbean islands, but this architectural marvel that seems to be perched on top of the world is like no other. It features 29 suites, called sanctuaries, where creature comforts are seamlessly married with the island’s stunning natural beauty. The lack of a fourth wall means a continuous view of the Pitons rising from the Caribbean Sea, but suites are situated in such a way that guests have complete privacy. Most also have a private infinity pool, perfect for honeymooners.
A resort so dedicated to the comfort of its guests would never dream of depriving them of that delectable island ambrosia — chocolate.
Yes, the stuff was almost as ubiquitous here as at Boucan, not that I was complaining. Had I stayed for a month, I probably wouldn’t have run out of chocolate-themed events to join or chocolate treats to nibble.
At any rate, I ended my trip on a sweet note.