Ajaw cacao experience

Today we went to a small plot of land where the folks from Ajaw are experimenting with growing cacao. Not really the right climate (too hot and too cold in these parts) and also the soil is a little too much limestone. We got to see some cacao plants and learn that avocado trees are not their friends (steal nutrients) but bananas are because the midges that pollinate live in between the layers of leaves. Also coconut can increase the pH to undo some of the effects of limestone.
Then we got to see how the Maya prepared cacao (beans fermented and then ground and mixed with hot water and all spice and hot pepper). The grinding was done on the mano and metate.Read more