Back to School

Suggestions of autumn have arrived in Hawai‘i nei: tumeric flowers, choke avocados, and the first kōlea spotting. For so many of us this time of year brings fond (or not) memories of back to school. For we the people of cacao, fall vibes may entice us to seek deeper learning into an aspect of cacao history or culture, farming or fermentation, chocolate making or tasting. Here are some resources I am loving right now for my cacao independent study.

As a child, the first day of school was exciting, enough to keep me awake the night before. The second day was less so. I was not that fond of school, the daily lessons and tests. But the special projects - write a play, make a display, research a topic - brought me joy, and still does.

My current special projects focus mostly around plants and food. Cacao intrigues me for its endless learning possibilities, and I’ve talked to many other people who feel the same. Whatever you love about cacao and chocolate, there are endless avenues of learning and experimentation.

On the tiny table to my right are two huge tomes, both of which I am referring to constantly as I research various aspects of my new book. They are both investments in money and time, not for everyone and only advised to those seeking the master class version. Perhaps one holds the inspiration you are craving at this moment?

The Secret Life of Chocolate

Thanks to Max Gandy’s Chocolate on the Road podcast for introducing me to this book. I bought it for myself as a birthday splurge in 2021 and proceeded to enjoy reading though it, accompanied by many cups of cacao.

Marcos Patchet’s book is awe-inducing for its length, thoroughness, and thoughtfulness. It is cacao from an herbalist’s point of view and through the lens of our time, both well-researched and personal. Pratchet is interested in cacao as both a medicinal and historically sacred food. He brings us through Mexican food stalls, 17th Century European apothecaries, and modern research laboratories, creating a multifaceted view of this complicated topic.

Several of his novel ideas made their way into in my book and into my personal cacao cosmovision, including his term “hedonic modifier” to describe cacao’s ability to subtly but clearly increase positive views and experiences. (I have come to think of this as an antidote to our brain’s actual and persistent “negativity bias.” Instead of bestowing an artificial rosiness, I believe cacao allows us to see the world more as it is.) I also often recall his theory that certain types of people (of whom I may know) may unknowingly self-medicate with cacao.

Patchett also covers the history of ceremonial cacao, a wonderful resource for those interested in tracing the origin of this divisive and important cacao trend.

This book is for you if you are interested in learning many facets of the health of chocolate from tradition to research. This book is for you if you are curious about traditional Mexican cacao drinks. This book is for you if you would like to feel your mind expanded through complex logical treatises that extend and sometimes challenge the commonly held notions about the complicated world of cacao.

Marcos Patchett has released a smaller book, which I think is a pared-down version of The Secret Life of Chocolate. I have not seen it, but I am certain it would be valuable to people not having the time to wade into the full Patchett chocolate sea.

Chocolate: History, Culture, and Heritage

Thank you to Sophia Rea of Projet Chocolat for suggesting this book, which I am currently savoring.

Graduate Chocolate 201 course would certainly require Chocolate: History, Culture, and Heritage as a core text book. This collection of fully-citationed research essays by academics and experts, edited by Louis Evan Grivetti and Howard-Yana Shapiro, covers a wide range of specific topics.

I’ve only begun digging in but have already been rewarded with knowledge of cacao in traditional medicinal, early drinking chocolate recipes, and discussions of chocolate pots. This is book for those who enjoy getting lost in the weeds. While I do enjoy a weedy tramp, I have a tendency to linger too long in the field, following the path of a bouncing beetle (inevitably darting into a rabbit hole), forgetting entirely the full landscape. If this also describes you, and if you consider a wild beetle chase a problem, be warned.

I will be guiltlessly treating myself to these chapters, and many rabbit holes, as the days grow shorter and slide into winter.

News

Marcos Patchett, Sophia Rea, and I (and so many amazing others) will be speaking at the free, online Women of Cacao Summit this month.

You have until Thursday to sign up for the this weekend’s Hilo Cacao & Chocolate Workshop.

Are you aiming to work on your tempering skills? Maybe my online class teaching an easy technique appropriate for tropical kitchens is for you.

Are you embarking on your own cacao and chocolate independent study this fall? Let us know!