70% Dark
by BFREE
Impact
At recent confab of grad school Mayanists, who take their anthropology & archeology very seriously, gendered associations of cacáo / cocoa / chocolate with the feminine in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica came up. Today chocolate’s prime demographic remains female. Apparently cacáo can be bigoted / sexist like that.
Then again as more men in the modern age gravitate toward consuming chocolate perhaps the scales balance. Some of that trend might be due to the aromatization of the modern man (i.e., the aromatase enzyme which converts androgens into estrogens). Ya know, xeno-estrogens (everything from chemical pesticides, BPA in plastics, bovine growth hormones), metallo-estrogens (heavy metals in farmed seafood, cookware, pharmaceuticals, pollution), & phyto-estrogens from plant sources… all assaulting hormonal levels, especially testosterone into a generalized feminization of culture. Hmmm, would make for interesting university research or doctoral studies of its impact on macro developments (everything from toxic masculinity; male privilege; mass shooting sprees; et.al.).
Truth is, the world is now estrogen dominant. Anyone who thinks that that is just a male problem can think again: too much estrogen (especially estriol) causes breast cancer, a deadly killer of too many women.
Dialogue naturally gets heated. Luckily, this bar takes the edge off, some.
It descends from ancient cacáo relics in that bastion of sexist femininity – Mesoamerica (specifically, modern day Belize). Criollo parentage cacáo trees on the Belize Foundation for Research & Environmental Education (BFREE) nature reserve growing in the rainforest under a tall heavy canopy. 1,153 acres of sanctuary that borders a much larger tropical reserve within the Maya Mountains.
The trees, widely & randomly dispersed, infer propagation by natural means. Given the cacáo specie’s birthplace & migratory patterns, best to consider these trees as sub-spontaneous or feral populations abandoned / neglected that appear “wild”.
Sustainable & very nurturing. A good kind of feminine support.
Now if it only added a bit more musculature to the post-harvest processing…
Then again as more men in the modern age gravitate toward consuming chocolate perhaps the scales balance. Some of that trend might be due to the aromatization of the modern man (i.e., the aromatase enzyme which converts androgens into estrogens). Ya know, xeno-estrogens (everything from chemical pesticides, BPA in plastics, bovine growth hormones), metallo-estrogens (heavy metals in farmed seafood, cookware, pharmaceuticals, pollution), & phyto-estrogens from plant sources… all assaulting hormonal levels, especially testosterone into a generalized feminization of culture. Hmmm, would make for interesting university research or doctoral studies of its impact on macro developments (everything from toxic masculinity; male privilege; mass shooting sprees; et.al.).
Truth is, the world is now estrogen dominant. Anyone who thinks that that is just a male problem can think again: too much estrogen (especially estriol) causes breast cancer, a deadly killer of too many women.
Dialogue naturally gets heated. Luckily, this bar takes the edge off, some.
It descends from ancient cacáo relics in that bastion of sexist femininity – Mesoamerica (specifically, modern day Belize). Criollo parentage cacáo trees on the Belize Foundation for Research & Environmental Education (BFREE) nature reserve growing in the rainforest under a tall heavy canopy. 1,153 acres of sanctuary that borders a much larger tropical reserve within the Maya Mountains.
The trees, widely & randomly dispersed, infer propagation by natural means. Given the cacáo specie’s birthplace & migratory patterns, best to consider these trees as sub-spontaneous or feral populations abandoned / neglected that appear “wild”.
Sustainable & very nurturing. A good kind of feminine support.
Now if it only added a bit more musculature to the post-harvest processing…
Appearance 3.8 / 5
| Color: | burnt sienna |
| Surface: | well set |
| Temper: | semi-matte |
| Snap: | snug |
Aroma 6.6 / 10
stoned green (cacáo verde)
leguminous bean on the raw side, granite, fronds
leguminous bean on the raw side, granite, fronds
Mouthfeel 10.9 / 15
| Texture: | powder keg |
| Melt: | wisps away (leaves behind detectable cocoa shells) |
Flavor 41.3 / 50
raw cocoa bean -> yeast feast -> malt -> peanut -> almond skins -> light champagne grip (astringent) for the stem
Quality 15 / 20
Sub-ferment, under-roasted, lax processing. If the HCP sensory panel, which designated this an heirloom, is any judge, lots of the underlying seed's potential left on the table as scraps instead of plowing back into this bar.
For fans of raw(ish) chocolate.
Reviewed March 28, 2019
For fans of raw(ish) chocolate.
Reviewed March 28, 2019