I was inspired after my trip to visit Maya Mountain Cacao in Punta Gorda, Belize to make a chocolate bar that blended the flavors of Belize together.
Then it hit me one night while I was eating dinner at the Blue Water Grill in Ambergris Caye. I ordered a steak (needed a break from seafood) and was able to chose a couple of side sauces to go with it. I chose the pineapple passion fruit sauce and the ajillo sauce (olive oil, garlic, guajillo pepper). On their own both sauces were great but together was paradise in my mouth.
I knew at that moment this was the flavor I wanted in my chocolate bar and an “Ode to Belize” was born!
For more information on my trip click here.
70% Belize (Maya Mountain) - "Ode to Belize" Bar
Includes : Pineapple, Passion Fruit, Guajillo Chile, Garlic
Maya Mountain Cacao (“MMC”) is a pioneer in direct trade cacao sourcing. MMC, founded in 2010, put Belize on the craft chocolate map as the first exporter in the country to produce high-quality, centrally-fermented, transparently sourced cacao. MMC works with 350+ certified organic smallholder cacao farming families in the Toledo District, most of them indigenous Q’eqchi’ and Mopan Maya. MMC centrally processes all cacao at a post-harvest facility where three unique stages of sun drying create optimal flavor. MMC operates a 24-hectare Demonstration Farm, for research and trainings in best practices for increasing cacao yield and quality; in 2016, the first pods were harvested from the demo farm, just 18 months after planting. MMC is focused on being a sustainable, long term and transparent partner to farmers and producing uniquely delicious and sweet cacao that creates real positive impact for the communities of southern Belize.
