THE HOME OF THE CRIOLLO

		THE HOME OF THE CRIOLLO
		THE HOME OF THE CRIOLLO
		Bolivia lies in the middle of South America, completely landlocked. The country is divided into two extremes - the highlands of the Andes and the lowland jungle. The northern province, Beni, lies partly in Amazonia. Beni is divided into 8 counties (Mamoré, Vaca Diaz, Itenez, Moxos, Maruam, Yacuma, Ballivian and Cercado) and contains the capital city, Trinidad. It is in Itenez that the cocoa trees grow wild. Itenez is divided into three municipalities: Baures, Huacaraje and Magdalena. Baures is the largest and contains 67 islets in the dry season, which become small islands in the rainy season. This is where the cocoa trees can be found growing wild. So far we have visited 6 islands - San Carlos, San Pedrito, Santa Maria, San Lucius, Veremos and Caricuara. Currently around ten of the islets are being harvested.  The Amazon jungle is situated in Bolivia's north-eastern province of Beni where the wild cocoa trees are growing. To travel to Beni from Scandinavia Rasmus has to take five flights, spend one day of canoeing on the beautiful dark jungle river with jumping pink dolphins, howling monkeys and richly coloured parrots, then walk fifteen kilometers through mud to reach the trees that grow on islets in the mangrove swamp. Pennsylvania University has confirmed, as the flavour has already hinted that the trees date back to 1000 years BC before the Mayas and Aztecs from Mexico used the cocoa beans as money. The Oialla chocolate comes from an original and endemic species which grows on the 67 islets in the Itenez region of Beni. Three variations of cocoa beans exist. Far most chocolate is made of Forastero (approx. 80 %) which mainly grow in African plantations. Forastero is a bigger fruit and therefore easier and more efficient to handle. Trinitario is a natural hybrid of Criollo and Forastero and is a less used variety. (approx. 15% of world’s production) Criollo beans (approx. 5% of the world’s production) are particularly difficult to grow as they are vulnerable to environmental changes and moreover give low yields of cocoa per tree. These small fruits have the greatest taste.