Paying 5 euros [6 US dollars] for a chocolate bar? What kind of price is that? Yves Delecroix' presentation of his chocolate making process comes with une dégustation – a tasting of his homemade chocolate. Connoisseurs immediately appreciate the true chocolate, made with 72% cacao. Suddenly 5 euros is not that bad a price to pay.
The cacao plantations of Walapulu in French Guiana
We stand at the entrance of Le Sentier de Fort Diamant, along the Atlantic Coast of Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana. It is Saturday afternoon, four o'clock, and we meet Yves Delecroix. Together with five other visitors we walk 300 metres up the trail where Yves has put some wooden benches in a shaded corner to give his weekly cacao presentation.
We are the only Dutch in the company of French, and Yves speaks only French, but he adjusts his speed and choice of words so we can follow his story. He is a compassionate man who after retirement – at the age of 52 – was too young to twiddle his thumbs and he tells his two 'legends' about how he became a cacao plantation owner:
- He had eaten some cacao beans and thoughtlessly thrown the seeds in his garden. A cacao tree came up right around the time he was asking himself what he would do after his retirement. Growing cacao beans had become the answer.
- He came across a cacao tree in the jungle and wanted to pick the ripe fruit. Next to it, however, lingered a 50 centimetre anaconda. "So here was the [forbidden] fruit, the snake and I – Adam," he explains his unofficial version of how it all started. His quirky sense of humour returns throughout his detailed talk.
For historians, or those interested in the history of French Guiana, he has some fascinating tales to tell. He describes how he became caretaker of the cacao plantation that at one time belonged to the eccentric owner Artur, who lived here in the 18th century. Before Artur, Jesuits cultivated the same hill. Remains of old buildings have been restored and are open to the public. These remains are part of the Fort Diamant Trail that leads from this hill into the rain forest.
Trial and error in the chocolate production process
"There is no sense in competing with the existing cacao market, which is led by West Africa," Yves explains. "I focus on one particular cacao plant, the local cacao spontané de Guyane, which only grows in French Guiana and yields a high quality cacao and thus chocolate products that melt in your mouth.”
It is fun to listen to his trial and error tales about how he has grown into chocolate production. About the obstacles he had to conquer because he doesn't produce enough cacao to buy machines, and so he mostly processes his cacao by hand. Imagine stripping every cacao seed of its slimy substance by hand in order to reach the heart of the cacao [see picture below]. That's what he does!
The tasting of cacao beans and Walapulu chocolate
At last, the tasting! We indulge, let the chocolate melt in our mouths, appreciating the strong, intense taste that, contrary to what I expected, isn't as bitter as some of the industrial black chocolates I have tasted. It is a natural product without any additives: 72% cacao and 28% sugar.
Yves is experimenting with variations on his chocolate in the same playful way as he tells his story. "I thought to add something for carnival, to give the revellers more energy," he says. So he added guaraní, a plant found in Brazil, known for its stimulating effects. His different types of chocolate bars became a success.
And so, today, he has only two bars to sell – he is out of stock. Although the fruit can be harvested all year, the cacao plant has two peak seasons: June and November. On his Walapulu website is a list of shops that sell his chocolate [check the airport store before and/or after your trip!].
Practical Information about a Walapulu chocolate presentation and tasting
- Address of cacao plantation "L'habitation Artur": La Route des Plages between Cayenne and Remire-Montjoly, across the Fort Diamant (which is the start of the Fort Diamant Trail).
- Presentations and tastings take place each Saturday afternoon at 4pm. They are free of charge and take one and a half to two hours.
- Reservations are not mandatory but possible at tel no. 06.94.26.37.52 or yves.delecroix@walapulu.fr
- Recommended: long trousers, shirt with long sleeves and walking shoes, mosquito repellent and umbrella in case of rain.
A hunt for French Guiana's unique Walapulu chocolate
One question remains, Walapulu? What is the origin of that name?
"Walapulu is the name of the tribe that lives in the southwest of French Guiana, where the cacao spontané plant was found. They, however, don't call it cacao, but walapulu; their tribe is named after the plant."
The coming days seven foreigners will hunt the stores to find Yves' last stock of chocolate bars – calling up visions of the chase of the golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Karin-Marijke Vis - Karin-Marijke Vis is a bilingual writer (Dutch-English) who has been traveling in Asia and South America since 2003.
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