GRENADA
Grenada, a place that is known to be famous as the Spice Island of the Caribbean. It is a beautiful island near Trinidad and Tobago. The island is most famous for its perfect weather, beaches and people. The economy of Grenada is mainly dependent on tourism and agriculture. Agricultural export products include mace, bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, vegetable, fish and other fruits. Few of the reasons why people want to visit Grenada are;
Grenada is a home to 9 black sand beaches and 45 white sand beaches. If you want to spend some time relaxing at the beaches feel free to do so as they are all public and you can explore to your heart’s content. If you are looking for something luxurious, spend some time at the fancy resorts at the island with your kids as there is fun stuff to do for them too.
Food, without a doubt plays a very important role in Grenada. Few of the famous local dishes of Grenada are pumpkin ginger soup, oil down, and breadfruit. The food is influenced by a Caribbean palate and Creole. The scent and flavor of the food will make you want to have it as soon as you see it coming. The island is well known for its chocolate making. You can visit the Grenada Chocolate Company for a tour of their factory. During your visit, you will get many chances to taste the different chocolates.
Grenada is famous to be as Island of Spice because it is one of the largest exporters of mace and nutmeg. Your visit to Grenada is not complete unless you have explored different spice aromas in the spice market. It is an islands bursting with various flavors and spices. Spices produced in Grenada include bay leaf, cinnamon bark, clove and etc.
Grenada is not only about relaxing at the beautiful beaches but also about adventure. Head to the Grand Etang National Park for a hike if you would like to get out in the wilderness. You might get a chance to spot the cheeky Mona monkey so keep your eyes open when you come here. Also, don’t stop to check out the Grand Etang Lake, a lake that sits in the center of the park. If you are looking to spend some time in the water then check out the Aquanauts Dive Adventures that will give you a chance for a dive. You can also snorkel here as they can also arrange a day trip for you too.
Economy
As mentioned above, the economy of Grenada depends upon tourism and agriculture sector of the island. Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange whereas agriculture is a part of the society. The economy of Grenada depends upon spice, mace and cocoa. These have not grown by large estates but small farmers having properties of few acres only. Talking about agriculture, it supports around 24% of the islands employment.
Cocoa
Cocoa is harvested by sniping the oval shaped pods from the trees using the cocoa knives also known as the mitten shaped knives. Those pods are then heaped into piles and then cracked with a machete or a cutlass. The white seeds or the beans are then removed and then placed intro bags or buckets to be transported to the fermentation point. The beans are then placed into strainer to remove excess water and debris is removed. The fermentation takes place when beans are in the boxes for 7 to 8 days. During the process of fermentation, the white substance that covers beans disappears. The beans turn in the color of brown developing a flavor. After every two days those beans are moved from one box to another to give them an equal and even distribution of heat produced during the process of fermentation. Once the process is completed, the beans are placed under the sun to dry for 6 to 7 days on wooden trays. The beans are then gone through the process of polishing. This is an important step because it removes any dried pulp residue on the seed and to give them a polished smooth look. The beans need to dry properly so they have to be regularly danced, and by danced, it really means so dance as someone really have to shuffle through them with their feet. This step is being followed since 300 years. After a week in the sun, when those beans turn crispy, they are ready. At this stage, the beans can be used to make West Indian cocoa tea but of course they are turned to make various chocolates
The Grenada Chocolate Company
The Grenada Chocolate Company has managed to inspire the international and local interest, production and demand made the cocoa beans of Grenada over the past years. The Grenada Chocolate Company was formed in 1999 whose vision was not only to produce dark chocolate but to promote and empower the farmers and their families to earn a living from producing cocoa.
If you want to experience the different brands of chocolates of Grenada and taste of the real cocoa of Grenada, visit the island on from 8th to 17th may at different locations of the island having as the 2nd annual Chocolate Festival takes place. The festival not only showcases and lets you try different chocolates but also tells about the benefits of dark organic chocolate and also give you a chance to meet the farmers who harvests the cocoa.
Santa Barbara Chocolate offers Grenada Chocolate Caribbean Blend that is easy to order and have shipped Free right to your door. So if you're dreaming of extra good chocolate couverture and don't quite have the time for a vacation be sure to click the link. :)
