Peru Day 5 - Don Fortunato's Cacao Farm

Today we are privileged to meet possibly the most famous cacao farmer in the world. My first glimpse of this Peruvian was on Anthony Bourdain's show "Parts Unknown" several years ago when I was just an armchair traveler. Don Fortunato holds the distinction of possessing the Mother Tree on his property.  I don't know all the science here, but according to Brian and Dan's website, "This tree possesses DNA identical to the genetic marker of Pure Nacional found in the 5,300 entry, world genetic database. Ok, let's get on with it.

Here is Don Fortunato. My first impression of this man is his quiet humility. After some introductions, he grabs a few cacao pods and begins to slice them open to show us his prized crop. He knows exactly what we're here to see. Here he is posing with a couple of Chubby Chipmunk/Marañón Chocolate bars which are formulated from his own beans.

With his machete, Don Fortunato skillfully taps the blade into the soft cacao pod, turning it around in his hands until the entire circumference has been cut. Next, he pulls the two halves apart, revealing the delicate white, fruity pulp w…

With his machete, Don Fortunato skillfully taps the blade into the soft cacao pod, turning it around in his hands until the entire circumference has been cut. Next, he pulls the two halves apart, revealing the delicate white, fruity pulp which surrounds the cacao beans inside.

On his farm, Don Fortunato plants a variety of organic crops, including mango, coffee, cacao, sapote, and banana to support healthy soil, proper crop maintenance, and a diverse multi-story, multi- crop ecosystem. According to Brian, it's the way far…

On his farm, Don Fortunato plants a variety of organic crops, including mango, coffee, cacao, sapote, and banana to support healthy soil, proper crop maintenance, and a diverse multi-story, multi- crop ecosystem. According to Brian, it's the way farming should be done.

Even the chickens look happy!

Even the chickens look happy!

This is Milly, Don Fortunato's granddaughter. A sweet little cherub with an adorable smile. 

This is Milly, Don Fortunato's granddaughter. A sweet little cherub with an adorable smile.

Dan Pearson ambles down the path to the cacao grove in his patched-up silver Timberlands, thanks to the indispensable twentieth century marvel: duct tape. 

Dan Pearson ambles down the path to the cacao grove in his patched-up silver Timberlands, thanks to the indispensable twentieth century marvel: duct tape.

Brian educates us in the ways of cacao farming with his usual charm and hands on experience. 

Brian educates us in the ways of cacao farming with his usual charm and hands on experience.

This is what you look like after drinking too much cacao juice. 

This is what you look like after drinking too much cacao juice.

Rosie & Monkey - the real world equivalent of Calvin & Hobbes.

Rosie & Monkey - the real world equivalent of Calvin & Hobbes.

Brian slices through a cacao pod to reveal the secret bean color ratio. I’m still not sure what Brian is wearing on his hat. I’m guessing it’s a GoPro, but for what purpose? Theft deterrent? Vlog? Poor memory? NSA spy? Blackmail? I guess I will neve…

Brian slices through a cacao pod to reveal the secret bean color ratio. I’m still not sure what Brian is wearing on his hat. I’m guessing it’s a GoPro, but for what purpose? Theft deterrent? Vlog? Poor memory? NSA spy? Blackmail? I guess I will never know…

On average, there is a 40% white bean to 60% dark bean ratio. This creates a desirable and complex flavor profile. 

On average, there is a 40% white bean to 60% dark bean ratio. This creates a desirable and complex flavor profile.

We begin by following Don Fortunato though his cacao grove and up a hill. Chip is leading the way, then me, followed by Shelly. As we soldier on, the underbrush gets increasingly more dense along with steep terrain. At one point, Chip picks up an un…

We begin by following Don Fortunato though his cacao grove and up a hill. Chip is leading the way, then me, followed by Shelly. As we soldier on, the underbrush gets increasingly more dense along with steep terrain. At one point, Chip picks up an unwieldy branch for some unknown reason, and nearly pokes me in the eye as I'm following close behind, trying to navigate a path meant for a small squirrel.

Meanwhile, Don Fortunato is somewhere way up the hill, slipping effortlessly through this bramble of twigs and leaves like a greased pig. We finally hear other members of our group to the right, just up an embankment. We all change direction and head into the light - and meet Brian casually walking along a well defined trail, free of any trees or bushes.

"What are you doing in there? That's the hard way," he informs us.

"Following Don Fortunato!" I reply, exasperated. The image above is the moment we break free of our thorny prison.

Still sweaty, but having a marvelous time in the jungle.

Still sweaty, but having a marvelous time in the jungle.

Doesn't this feel like an old european romantic painting you had to learn about in Art History class? Well, it's just Don Fortunato's cow waiting for the tourists to leave. 

Doesn't this feel like an old european romantic painting you had to learn about in Art History class? Well, it's just Don Fortunato's cow waiting for the tourists to leave.

There's no shortage of beautiful skies to photograph here. Just be careful of that scorching sun!

There's no shortage of beautiful skies to photograph here. Just be careful of that scorching sun!

Here is where it all began - the Mother Tree. Seated next to Don Fortunato are Seth and Chip Tautkus, founder of Chubby Chipmunk Chocolates.The Mother Tree was first discovered by Noe Vasquez just a few years ago. He's kind of a cacao-savant, notici…

Here is where it all began - the Mother Tree. Seated next to Don Fortunato are Seth and Chip Tautkus, founder of Chubby Chipmunk Chocolates.

The Mother Tree was first discovered by Noe Vasquez just a few years ago. He's kind of a cacao-savant, noticing subtle shape differences in the pods, the leaf structure, the way the trunk branches, things only he can see.

As we all arrived on the scene, Brian was dumbfounded, as he had imagined this tree was written off due to some health problems. The tree had some radical trunk surgery and wasn't expected to live, but in the last year it miraculously grew back and was sprouting a cacao pod from the old trunk, not to mention a few from the new canopy.

Burros are a common site here in the campo. Farmers like Don Fortunato use burros all the time to transport beans from the grove to the house or highway, a collection point, or goods from the nearest town. Burros are essential to daily campo life, a…

Burros are a common site here in the campo. Farmers like Don Fortunato use burros all the time to transport beans from the grove to the house or highway, a collection point, or goods from the nearest town. Burros are essential to daily campo life, along with mules and horses.

I always feel a little weird about shots like this, as I'm behind glass in fast moving van, shooting rapid fire, hoping to get a glimpse into an authentic Peruvian neighborhood, as the locals curiously stare back at our fancy Mercedes Sprinter Van. …

I always feel a little weird about shots like this, as I'm behind glass in fast moving van, shooting rapid fire, hoping to get a glimpse into an authentic Peruvian neighborhood, as the locals curiously stare back at our fancy Mercedes Sprinter Van. Obviously not from around here.

Part of me feels like a spy, stealing their likeness, their being, their soul... without permission. The other part of me says, "That's what street photography is all about. Man up already!" It's an ongoing debate, about what is ethical or moral in terms of shooting a subject without getting their approval. For now, I'll do whatever I can do to get the shot, depending on how brave I feel at the time.

One thing that was hard to miss about these towns was the ever present political campaign slogans painted on every surface of every building we passed. Apparently, the locals are fine with this, as it provides them with a free paint job on their houses and businesses. Quite often, they won't even be supporting the candidate being advertised. And those slogans will remain up until the next election when they will be painted over with the new candidate's logo.

My initial impression about this practice was that is was very ugly and ruined any architectural charm that may have been there to begin with. But that's just my ethnocentric judgement coming through. Afterall, it is a free paint job!

One more thing: Voting is compulsory in Peru with an 83.72% turnout rate in the last presidential election. If you fail to vote, you are fined. The maximum fine is 76 Soles, or about $23. Also no consumption of alcohol a couple days before and after elections.

Now it's time for some pretty pictures that make you feel like you're riding off into the sunset. FULL DISCLOSURE: These photos have undergone a few post processing tricks in Photoshop. There. Now you know. I'm going for an emoti…

Now it's time for some pretty pictures that make you feel like you're riding off into the sunset. FULL DISCLOSURE: These photos have undergone a few post processing tricks in Photoshop. There. Now you know. I'm going for an emotional feeling and specific aesthetic quality, rather than a literal depiction here. Ok, on with the show…

Don Fortunato's farm.

Don Fortunato's farm.

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Peru Day 4 - Working the Cacao Grove

Today we visit the Cacao farm of Edilberto Guevara. Brian shows us the finer points of cutting the pod from the tree, cutting vs breaking it open, and a few other surprises. 

This land is overflowing with verdant landscapes and magical cloud formations.

Brian explains some cacao pod removal techniques to us foreigners, as farmer Ed in the blue hat looks on. 

Freddie takes a stab at cutting a cacao pod from the tree. 

Rosie shows Brian the finer points of pulling vs pushing the blade.  

Ali Gower gets the credit for this photo. Those sexy mud boots might be a new look for me...

Brian and Edilberto debate the existence of "Witches' Broom" a disease which can affect cacao trees. 

Master Brian say, "Just repeat this mantra with a Scottish accent and you will find success in everything you do:  Coconut, Machete, Bagpipe. Coconut, Machete, Bagpipe. Coconut, Machete, Bagpipe."

Despite Shelly's excellent training, the innocent green pod below met a premature fate.  

Chip can do this with her eyes closed.... or maybe just wearing very dark sunglasses.  

Ali gets his prize.

Rosievision

This reminds me of my paint palette - a tasty collection of colors. 

Rosie attempts the "crack-it-on-the-rock" method to open the cacao pod. 

Another two photo credits to Ali Gower. The fruity taste of the pulp that surrounds the cacao seed is irresistible. It tastes nothing like chocolate, but more like a sweet tropical treat. 

Edilberto also grows sugarcane, and this press is used for extracting the juice from the cane fiber. 

I love to finds things which are in a state of decay. For me, there is something beautiful about watching nature reclaim an object, be it a crumbling man-made wall, a rusty car, an autumn leaf or corn cobs cast into a bucket. 

On the way back from Edilberto Guevara's cacao farm we pass fields of rice patties - gentle, curving terraced stripes on a watery landscape. 

Rivers lure me in to their constant motion, their complex, organic shapes, twirling, swirling, always flowing, never ending continuity. 

Peru Day 3 - The Marañón Valley

After two flights, seven hours drive across the Andes, and another hour drive from "Basetown", we have finally arrived in the Marañón Valley. It is so lush and beautiful here - the perfect setting for the rarest chocolate in the world. 

On the road to see the farm of Noe Vasquez, our first cacao farmer.  

Waiting for everyone to arrive on Noe's farm - left to right: Chip Tautkus, owner of Chubby Chipmunk Chocolates, Dan Pearson, president of Marañón Chocolate, Seth Tautkus, Chip's son and business manager, and Shelly Shinjo, my adventurous wife. 

Noe Vasquez addresses the enthusiastic crowd of international chocolatiers and local farmers who have come to learn about cacao growing and harvesting.

Chip and Noe. Check out what Chip has created with Chubby Chipmunk Chocolates. She is the reason that Shelly and I are here. 

Chip's website:

 http://www.chubbychipmunk.com

One of Noe's beautiful cacao groves.

Here is a cacao pod, about eight inches long. Depending on the variety, they can range from yellow to orange to red in color. In many cases they will grow directly from the trunk.

After exploring the cacao groves, it was time to cool off in the shade of some coconut trees. Did I mention that it was kind of hot and humid here in the jungle? 

As we all look on, Noe plucks a coconut from high up in the tree canopy. He uses a long bamboo pole with a special blade at the end to cut the coconut loose.

Brian tries his hand at snagging a coconut. 

Slicing his way through the coconut, Noe uses a machete to prepare nature's most refreshing beverage. 

Shelly quenches her thirst on sweet coconut water. 

Pearsonberg (more on that later) before the shoe fiasco (more on that later too).

Rosie's job is to keep everyone laughing and to see the world through a seven year old perspective. We become fast friends, co-creating a variation of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" we name "Coconut, Machete, Bagpipe". 

Chip & Dan - sounds like a couple of cartoon characters I know. 

A cacao family portrait. There are a few gasps of amazement when I shoot 10 frames in rapid succession to create this panorama.  

"Don't you make me come over there and mess you up", Red said, contemplating his next cockfight.

Isn't he just the cutest ball of fur you ever did see?

Too bad he's on the lunch menu. (Kids, hide your eyes now.)

Aww.... yum! 

Here is one of Noe's sons, Max, trying to act normal, despite all the strange camera-wielding gringos wandering around his home today. By the way, the structure in the foreground is the kitchen, constructed from narrow tree trunks, which allow for ventilation while cooking.

Freddie Gower, a chocolatier from Scotland, looks on as Noe's wife, Socorro cooks a hearty meal of rice, chicken and cui (guinea pig) over a wood fire stove for all of us hungry foreigners.

Here is some fancy juggling of the mysterious "GLORIA" ingredient. A true enigma, with a cap at both the top and bottom of the container. 

In the blue shirt is Norbil, Noe's younger brother who also works for Brian in the cacao project. On the left is Noe's Aunt. Brian just calls her "Señora". She is preparing a delicious dish of sweet fermented onions. 

Scott, Chip and Shelly, just after lunch. After seeing those cute little critters I was the only one to abstain from cui. Happy and fed, we are starting to feel okay in our sweatiness.

Noe with his three sons, Freddy, Max and Vic.

As Shelly works on her novel, Noe's wife shells cacao beans for a chocolate drink she is preparing for later. She asks Shelly how long we have been married. It has been twenty-two years. "And no children?" She insists that we had better get busy! 

After visiting Noe's farm, Brian shows us how the cacao beans get processed. They are first bagged and trucked to his facility. 

Next, the beans are emptied into wooden bins called "juicers". The weight of the beans pressing up against the sides of the juicer releases all the water content from the white pulp surrounding the beans. This liquid seeps out of the holes in the sides of the bin. Tiles at the base of the bin catch the liquid, which collects into a bucket.

Dan Pearson salivates as Ali Gower, a chocolatier from Scotland samples the sweet nectar. I feel very privileged to be able to taste this rare cacao juice, as fresh as you can get it. It's absolutely delicious! Here is the website for The Chocolate Tree, Ali and Freddie Gower's chocolate company in Scotland. Their chocolate is superb!

http://www.choctree.co.uk/  

Further along in the process, the "undesirable" beans are sorted into the red basket. Don't ask me how these guys determine the good from the bad, but I trust they know what they're doing.

Next, the beans are fermented for 5-7 days inside covered wooden bins. They give off a pungent vinegar smell, which fills the whole room. Every day all the beans are emptied into a large trough where they are mixed and randomized to insure uniformity.

The last step in the process is the drying phase. The beans are laid out on several enormous tables lined with permeable fabric. The beans are allowed to air dry outdoors for 5 days. There is also an additional weeding out of the marginal beans, which are used for lower quality chocolate products. When the beans have reached the proper state of dryness they are bagged and shipped to customers around the world to be made into chocolate.

Rosie is working hard at her new job as a low-grade industrial cacao quality control technician.  (LGICQCT for short.)

Peru Day 2 - A Desolate Road

After leaving Chiclayo, we made our way East, heading eventually into the Andes. But before reaching those majestic mountains, we traversed small outlying towns populated by the ubiquitous "moto". These are motorcycles cannibalized into a type of taxi, with a bench seat and two wheels welded to a chassis on the tail end of the motorcycle. Each has it's own distinct personality, customized with various color schemes, hardware and accessories. It looked like fun until I saw one squashed beneath a big rig. For now I'll stay in the van. 

Check out the fake fur on the gas tank and headlight.

At last..... the Andes! 

Peru Day 1 - Chiclayo Market

We began our Peruvian chocolate adventure flying into Lima, Peru. First thing the next morning we hopped a quick flight to Chiclayo, which is about 400 miles north. Brian Horsley, our amazing host and tour guide introduced us to the Chiclayo Mercado, a smorgasbord of meat market, fruit and vegetable vendors, florists, hat salesmen, and anything you'd ever want for your discriminating voodoo needs. 

Brian, our fearless leader on the left, explains the do's and don'ts of mercado etiquette. 

If you ever wanted to know how a chicken makes an egg, it's all right here...

This proud and giddy grandpa didn't want us to miss this photo-op of his grandson. 

Rosie and Monkey. I've never seen a kid get so much mileage out of one toy. 

Off to Peru

Shelly and I are off to Peru for a chocolate tour in the jungle. We are joined by my great entrepreneurial friend, Chip Tautkus who owns Chubby Chipmunk Chocolates in Deadwood SD. For over 10 years, I’ve been designing and outfitting a character we affectionately call “Chubby”. Below you can see all of her various incarnations. The one that looks a bit like Indiana Jones has been specifically designed for this rare cacao found in Peru. Now we are embarking on an adventure to see, feel and taste the secret cacao that make her chocolate so amazing. Stay tuned for more photos and cool adventures!