Costa Rica’s diverse geography, with its coastal plains, highlands, and volcanic soils, creates a unique terroir that influences the flavor profiles of Costa Rican cacao. The Criollo and Trinitario varieties, grown in different regions, offer chocolates with a range of flavors, from fruity and floral to nutty and spicy.
Regions like the Talamanca mountains and the Central Valley are gaining recognition for producing distinct cacao, showcasing the impact of terroir on the flavor nuances of Costa Rican chocolate.
Origin of Cacao in Costa Rica
Cacao in Costa Rica dates back to pre-Columbian times when the indigenous populations, including the Chorotega and Boruca people, cultivated and revered the cacao tree. Cacao held significant cultural and spiritual importance, used in ceremonies and as a form of currency. With the arrival of the Spanish colonizers, cacao became integrated into the colonial economy.
In the post-colonial era, the Costa Rican cacao industry underwent a period of decline, caused by diseases affecting cacao trees and the shift to other crops. It was not until the late 20th century that Costa Rica witnessed a resurgence in interest in cacao cultivation.
Cacao and BriBri People in Costa Rica
The indigenous people from the Talamanca region, the BriBri, have a very rich cacao tradition. The BriBri people have produced and harvested cacao since time immemorial. Before 1950, BriBri people mainly used the cacao for subsistence, medicinal, and ritual purposes.
People in Yorkin remember producing this crop for commercial purposes around 1950 as the Costa Rican Government built a road that connected Yorkin to other towns, and there were several intermediaries in the area buying this crop. The production of cacao became the primary livelihood activity for Yorkin families in 1960–1979. In 1979, the cacao industry shrunk as the cacao farms in Costa Rica were hit by monilia, a fungal pathogen. Since then, the BriBri people have applied several organic methods to control this pest, and production is on the rise again.
Because of the problems in the 1970’s the BriBris decided to revalue and recover their cultural practices which are also an agroecological response to climate change. In these logics the BriBri apply several synergic agricultural systems such as Chamugrö, Ditsö and Witö.
More than forty years have passed since the plague hit them, but the BriBri always remember it to demonstrate their capacity for resilience, inherited from their cultural codes.
The BriBri conception of development puts collective value before individual value, assumes the existence of an interconnection with the elements of nature, and protects and integrates them as part of their ancestral family. This conception leads them to look for answers in the past in order to move forward into the future. Thus, facing changes that other cultures wish to impose or those they themselves wish to incorporate, in order to maintain their culture.
Cacao has a special significance in BriBri culture. In their belief, the cacao tree is female. Originally the tree was a woman and Sibú turned into a tree. That’s why cacao branches are never used as firewood as well as only women have the right to prepare and serve the sacred drink.
The BriBri are using cacao in Costa Rica on special ceremonies and in certain rites of passage such as the celebration when a girl has their first menstruation. Currently, there exist several BriBri women’s associations that produce organic, handmade chocolate that helps them in their livelihoods and provides their families with the most essential stuff.
The Chamugrö System for Cacao Cultivation
In the Chamugrö system, timber and fruit trees are interspersed, planting bananas and plantains as a shade of cocoa and many other fruit trees such as guaba or pejibaye. The Chamugrö is also a biological corridor and host for birds and mammals; it serves as a biological barrier limiting the development of pests, protects the soil from erosion and makes the use of nutrients efficient by recycling organic matter. Chamugrö also contributes to the capture and fixation of positive carbon of up to 200 tons per hectare.
Sustainable Cocoa and Chocolate Production in Costa Rica
Besides the BriBri there are many other producers and chocolate makers engaged in cacao and chocolate. Sustainability is a central focus in Costa Rica’s cacao industry. Organizations like the Costa Rican Cacao Foundation (FUNDOAGRO) and the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture are actively involved in promoting sustainable farming practices, providing technical assistance to farmers, and supporting initiatives that enhance the quality of cacao in Costa Rica.
Costa Rican farmers are increasingly adopting organic and agroforestry practices, preserving biodiversity and maintaining the ecological balance of cacao plantations. These efforts not only benefit the environment but also contribute to the social and economic well-being of local communities engaged in cacao cultivation.