Captain’s Chocolate & the Catholic Ecology Center
We want to highlight a local business just down the road from the Catholic Ecology Center called Captain’s Chocolate. We are excited about our new partnership that will allow us to educate people on sustainability, organic food and supporting small farms through fair trade practices. See our Events Page for our Chocolate Workshops for adults and kids.
Captain’s Chocolate began with an Alaskan Salmon Fisherman who wanted a warm winter. That led him eventually to building a house in the Costa Rican mountains where he met Joel Sanchez, a Louisiana missionary turned Costa Rican beef farmer. Being the kind of guys they are, they had both become involved with local life and the indigenous tribes. Seeing that the tribes were having a difficult time financially spurred Captain Mark to come up with the idea of starting a chocolate factory.
In the previous years, the local tribes had endured a fungus on their cacao trees that destroyed many orchards. At the same time, the local bean buyer slashed the price to well below market price. Getting their crop to market meant going down dangerous mountain roads in less-than-ideal conditions. In order to solve these challenges, Captain Mark purchased 10,000 seedlings for the tribes, distributing them to anyone who wanted to farm cacao. Once the trees started producing, Captain Mark started buying those beans, and currently pays the farmers well above fair trade prices (almost double!) To solve the issue of getting the beans to market, Captain Mark purchased a truck and started a pickup route, so that the farmers don’t have to worry about delivery. Now, even the smallest farmer can sell beans to Captain’s Chocolate.
Wanting to have consistent high quality, Mark and Joel decided to build their own processing plant. Captain Mark purchased a piece of land containing an old restaurant foundation where he built the processing plant and an apartment for our employee, Robeen, and his family. When the processing plant was built, the real work began. Joel and Mark worked long grueling hours building all of the necessary equipment, such as drying sheds, fermenting boxes, and our own bean roaster.
During this time, Mark’s sister Sarah heard about the chocolate project and joined the team. Sarah started work on the current chocolate production facility and retail store in the heart of the Wisconsin countryside. Using the nibs from Costa Rica Sarah creates the chocolate and handles the retail and wholesale selling side of Captain’s. Between the production facility in Costa Rica and the one in Wisconsin, our chocolate is created entirely by Captain’s Chocolate. This is truly single source, bean to bar, and farm to table chocolate.
One of the goals of Captain’s Cocoa is to give the Indigenous an opportunity to move out of the poverty level into a higher social class where they can give themselves and their children a better future. Talking to them quickly reveals they want to give their families a steadier and reliable income. One of the ways we accomplish this is buying their beans at over double the current price they are paid from the other corporation. This encourages the Indigenous to really work their plantations to get the maximum production so they will be able to earn more money. Respecting and treating others fairly creates a great working environment. This business has allowed us to build strong relationships with the Indigenous and has allowed us to get to know and experience a different culture while building relationships.
What is the difference between Cacao and Cocoa?
Cocoa beans and cacao beans are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference between the two. Cacao is the purest form of chocolate and refers to the plant species, Theobroma cacao, from which chocolate is made. Cocoa, on the other hand, is the term used for the processed and roasted beans used in the production of chocolate and other cocoa-based products.
What are Cacao Beans?
Cacao beans are harvested from the Theobroma cacao tree, which grows in tropical regions, primarily in South America, Africa, and Asia. The beans are removed from the pod and fermented, a process that develops the chocolate flavor and reduces bitterness. After fermentation, the beans are dried and then roasted to further develop the flavor. These beans are then referred to as cocoa beans.
What are Cocoa Beans?
Cocoa beans are processed to produce chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder. The beans are roasted at a higher temperature than cacao beans, and the outer shell is removed, leaving behind the nib, which is ground into a paste to make chocolate. Cocoa powder is produced by pressing the chocolate liquor to remove most of the cocoa butter, resulting in a fine powder.
Cacao is Pre-Process; Cocoa is Post-Process
In summary, cacao refers to the plant species, while cocoa refers to the roasted and processed beans. Both cacao and cocoa are essential ingredients in the production of chocolate and other cocoa-based products, and their unique flavors and properties are highly valued by chocolatiers and consumers alike.
Visit their website to purchase some amazing organic chocolate; Captains Chocolate
Join us for one of our Chocolate Workshops https://catholicecologycenter.org/events
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