St. Lucia Is for Chocolate Lovers

wdc tv news staff

6 hours ago

I’m one bite into a handmade salted caramel bon bon and it’s all the proof I need that St. Lucia is a paradise in more ways than one. I’ve already fallen for the Caribbean island’s stunning beaches, tropical sunshine, and the Pitons: a dramatic duo of volcanic peaks that appear to soar out of the sea. Now, I have another reason to be swept off my feet: the best chocolate I’ve ever had.

St. Lucia’s cocoa culture dates back to the early 1700s, with many of the island’s plantations producing cacao beans for local use as well as exportation. It’s been an integral part of the economy, along with crops like coffee, bananas, and previously, sugar cane. The traditional method of harvesting cocoa and crafting the chocolate is still practiced today in an effort to preserve the history tied to this important island bounty. Chocolate has such a legendary reputation here that the entire month of August is a designated “month of chocolate” paying homage to the ingredient’s role in the island’s rich cultural and culinary heritage. The celebration is chock full of chocolate-themed events, special resort packages, and even a chocolate stout from the only craft brewery on the island.

Cocoa is experiencing a bit of a renaissance in the destination, and there are a plethora of ways to embrace your inner chocaholic when visiting St. Lucia.

Take a chocolate workshop

Courtesy of Lauren Breedlove

Visit the chocolate lab at Jade Mountain, a cliffside luxury resort dripping in romance with front row seats to the island’s most famous natural landmarks, to participate in the on-site Discover Chocolate workshop.

“Everything is done by hand here,” says instructor Emmany Hippolyte, who teaches small groups of eager chocolate tasters. Going from bean to bar is a meticulous operation, from sorting beans one by one to tempering the chocolate to polishing and wrapping the finished bars. The whole process takes place in-house, thanks to the resort’s organic farm, Emerald Estate. With 1,000 resident cocoa trees, Jade Mountain and its sister resort, Anse Chastanet, are unique “tree to bar” producing properties. The workshop opens with a short history lesson before launching into a hands-on chocolate making experience, where participants learn the step-by-step process for bars and bon bons, and even attempt to help temper the chocolate, which is an art.

Craft your own bars as a choose your own adventure-style culinary activity with the assorted toppings: cashews, sea salt, peanuts, and more. While they set, you’ll taste-test the hotel’s signature chocolate varieties, incredible combinations influenced by the island’s natural crops. Everything from cashew, nibs, and lemongrass, to chipotle, and my personal favorite, cinnamon. Handmade chocolate bars make the perfect souvenir…if you can resist eating them before leaving the island.

Guests can participate in the Discover Chocolate workshop on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays. The Emerald Estate Farm Visit and chocolate tasting combination can be booked on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with more of the history and farming of cocoa.

Sip cocoa tea from a local market

Castries Market.

Flavio Vallenari / Getty Images

Swap your usual coffee or tea for St. Lucia’s quintessential morning beverage. Cocoa tea is thick and velvety with a unique flavor from its blend of spices. Cocoa sticks are typically grated and simmered in hot water or milk, with cinnamon, bay leaf, nutmeg, vanilla, and a little sugar mixed in. The tea is extremely popular among the locals — a staple at the Saturday morning market in Soufrière, it’s sold from the window of the bright pink Snackette building and vendors make their own with cocoa sticks under the pavilion.You can sip the staple drink almost anywhere on the island in the mornings. The Castries Market is another great option (Monday to Saturday) for those venturing up to the northwestern region St. Lucia.

Indulge in a chocolate spa treatment

Cacao, rose, cinnamon, and peppermint in spoons for a spa treatment.

Courtesy of Rabot Hotel from Hotel Chocolat Saint Lucia

You don’t have to eat or drink to experience St. Lucia’s chocolate scene. Surprisingly, chocolate can be good for your skin with its hydrating and antioxidant properties. Many of St. Lucia’s resorts offer chocolate-infused wellness packages. From a mocha massage or exfoliating chocolate citrus body polish at Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet, to a cacao facial or cacao massage at Rabot Estate from Hotel Chocolat, there’s no shortage of specialized chocolate treatments to try. After all, nothing says romance like a couple’s chocolate-themed spa treatment.

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