Chocolate is a special treat the world over, however the cocoa trees only grow in a limited geographical range. From that range, West Africa supplies about 70 percent of all the cocoa in the world. São Tomé used to be the top producer of cocoa, and it’s now home to some of the best chocolate in the world.
History of Cocoa Plantations in São Tomé
São Tomé and Princìpe today are dotted with defunct and repurposed roças. These plantations were most frequently used to grow cocoa trees that was then sold throughout the world. However, these large scale plantations relied on slave labor.
After an investigation at the behest of William Cadbury exposed the continued use of slave labor, boycotts of Saotomean chocolate ruined the export economy. Many of the plantations went under as a result, though there are a handful still operating.
Claudio Corallo: the Best Chocolate in the World?
Claudio Corallo is an Italian agronomist who grew up among his family’s olive groves. There, he learned about the effect that climate and soil conditions have on the quality of the food grown there. Later in life, he moved to then-Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and applied his knowledge to growing coffee.
As unrest grew in the DRC, Corallo left and found a new home in São Tomé. He intended to restart his coffee business. But,he found an ancient breed of cocoa tree growing on the island and was intrigued by a new challenge. He cultivated these trees and began making his own chocolate.
Corallo doesn’t believe in adding many things to the cocoa, especially milk. If your experience with chocolate is like many, then you would expect his chocolate to be very bitter. However the bitterness comes from low quality soil and growing conditions. There are a variety of products, but the lowest possible amount of cocoa in a produce is 73.5%, but you would never be able to tell.
There is a regular schedule of tastings at the chocolate factory in São Tomé, where you can learn all about Corallo’s story and try every one of the different products. If you can’t make it to São Tomé, you can also order some online. My personal favorite is the 80% cocoa with crystal sugar.