Saluting the Best Trinidad Chocolate
In this post, I’ve chosen to salute the best Trinidad chocolate, and salute the amazing women producing Trinidadian chocolate. Happy #InternationalWomensDay to them all!
Trinidad specializes in growing fine flavour Trinitario cacao, from which its delicious chocolate is made. I will focus on the Cocoa Genebank and growing of cacao in Trinidad in a future post. In this post, we’ll stick to the deliciousness of Trinidad chocolate and the amazing women who are making it.
meet the women of trinidad chocolate
Exploring the booths at the chocolate expo introduced me to several terrific chocolate companies, as well as learning more about Cocobel Chocolate, probably the most impressive chocolate company in Port of Spain, with its handcrafted bean-to-bar artisan offerings including a wide array of sumptuous truffles. I absolutely adored the 65% dark chocolate bar made with guava cheese–and no, it’s not cheese as we know it. Guava cheese is a cross between fruit leather and jam, and goes immensely well with the estate grown Trinitario chocolate made by Cocobel.
It was a pleasure meeting Isabel Brash of Cocobel Chocolate. Isabel is a trained architect who uses her architectural skills to create truly beautiful three-dimensional chocolates. She had been kind enough to send me a sampling of her chocolate–including her ever-popular chocolate barks–several years ago, but meeting her, tasting her latest offerings, and gaining a greater understanding of the motivation behind her company are what makes chocolate travel and my work with Chocolatour so meaningful and worthwhile.
Gina Hardy (pictured above) of Gina Artisan Chocolatier makes an amazing array of handcrafted truffles. I tasted the raspberry passionfruit truffle and loved it. Gina also makes a fabulous assortment of single origin bars featuring fine flavour Trinidad-grown Trinitario cocoa. Her 70% Midnight Hummingbird Chocolate is so pure and delicious, I brought back several bars that I was pleased to feature in a chocolate tasting I hosted here in Canada.
On the long flight back from Trinidad, I couldn’t stop myself from breaking into my chocolate stash. Remember to always have your chocolate in your carry-on luggage to ensure it isn’t exposed to extreme changes in temperature or humidity–and just incase you need a delicious distraction to help you get through a long flight. Such was the case when I treated myself to two incredible chocolate confections made by Noren Nunez, the self-proclaimed Couverture Chocolate Specialist who owns Voulez Chocolat Luxury Artisan Chocolate. Noren began making chocolate in Europe in 1991, where she perfected the elegance of chocolate that celebrated the silkiness of Belgian and Swiss-made chocolate. In 2013, Noren began making chocolate in Dallas, Texas. She now combines her time between Dallas and Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Ortinola Estate Chocolate was another favourite of mine. Below, you’ll see Nikita Nath, the chocolatier at Ortinola. Read this post devoted to the natural beauty of the Ortinola Estate, the chocolate, and the tours and afternoon tea you can enjoy while there. The finest Trinidad chocolate is indeed being made by women!
Hi Doreen, it was a pleasure to meet you during your visit to Trinidad. Enjoyed reading your profiles of Isobel, Gina, Nikita and Noren, four of Trinidad & Tobago’s pioneering chocolate entrepreneurs. Their products provide chocolate lovers with the perfect incentive to visit to Trinidad & Tobago. As you discovered, their chocolates pair beautifully with our distinguished local rums.
Hi Hazel! How wonderful to hear from you. I enjoyed my trip to Trinidad immensely and thoroughly enjoyed the rum and chocolate pairing event where we met. Would love to return and continue the exploration.
I’m intrigued by the beautiful pieces of chocolate–we’ve come along way, eh? Sometimes they’re so lovely, it’s hard (for a moment) to bite in!
You’re so right, RoseMary. I often get chocolate that looks to good to eat! But it doesn’t take me long to slap some sense into myself. 🙂
I always love reading about the chocolates you find in your travels. Almost as good as tasting the actual treat! Trinidad certainly has some talented female chocolatiers.
Hi Alison and thanks for your comment. Indeed, the women of chocolate are certainly changing the world of chocolate! No one eats more chocolate than us women, so it’s nice to see the women creating the chocolate products and packaging with our feminine tastes in mind. 🙂
Who knew Trinidad had such luscious-looking chocolates! Thanks for the tip!
Hi Patti. It’s my pleasure to share great chocolate finds with my readers, & with attendees to my chocolate events.
It’s wonderful to see the creative women behind trinidad chocolate. It all sounds delicious! Wish I’d been at that tasting. I feel like I’ve been preparing for the event my whole life! 😉
Hello Juliann and thanks for your comment. It’s too bad you’re not in Winnipeg. We are having a chocolate tasting event on Friday, December 6th. Exotic bean-to-bar chocolate of the world. YUMMM!
I thank you for providing another wonderful post about the amazing world of chocolate. I enjoyed the advice about carrying chocolate in our carry on luggage.
Thanks for your comment, Bev. Yes, putting chocolate in checked luggage can result in quite a disappointment. It’s kind of like the difference between sending chocolate in the regular mail and not knowing how it will arrive, or sending it via courier and knowing it will arrive in fine shape and flavour.
As chocoholics we’re always looking for new chocolates. Your article focusing on women is excellent as are these chocolates. Thank you. Now it’s off to Trinidad!!
Thanks for your comment of enthusiasm, Lori. Both Trinidad and its chocolate are marvellous!
Trinitario cocoa must be a great source of fine chocolate. Some amazing women in Trinidad’s chocolate industry. Chocogasm is a good word!
Hi Carol and thanks for your comment. Yes, I love that word chocogasm, but I can’t take credit for it. And agent I know from New York introduced me to it years ago. 🙂
I remember fondly my visit to a cacao plantation on Trinidad. It makes sense that these women are making wonderful chocolates in Trinidad, since I believe that women in general do enjoy chocolate more than men. I have embraced your comment re. keeping any chocolate you are traveling with in your carry-on, to protect it from temperature changes . . . but not from your mouth.
Your comment made me smile, Carole. Indeed, one of the benefits of having your chocolate in your carry-on is that it will be close-at-hand for when you get the urge for a taste. 🙂 Do you happen to recall the name of the cacao plantation you visited in Trinidad? I shall be writing about my visit to some cocoa farms while I was in Trinidad, so stay tuned.
My daughters are becoming a bit of chocolate connoisseurs these days. We can’t get away with buying dollar-store-style chocolate anymore. It’s very interesting to read about chocolates created where cocoa comes from. We will soon be branching out and trying new brands.
Thanks so much for your comment, Jessica. Yes, once you taste the good stuff, there’s no going back to dollar store chocolate! It really does change the way you understand and taste chocolate, once you’ve been to a cocoa plantation and see all the work and creativity that goes into growing and processing the cocoa.
What a fascinating experience. Loved reading about these amazing and talented women who are spreading chocolate joy in the world. I didn’t know Trinidad has makes chocolate so thanks for enlightening me on that. Great article.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Rosemary. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Please have a look around, as you’ll find many more intriguing posts introducing you to the creative men and women making the best chocolate of the world. 🙂
Doreen thank you so much for visiting us and featuring us in this great post! It was our pleasure to have you and thank you for sharing your Trinidad experience with the world
With love from the big Ortinola family 😀
Thanks so much for your comment, Nikki. I really enjoyed the tour and afternoon tea at Ortinola in addition to your chocolate. 🙂 I will be writing more about it in a subsequent post, so stay tuned!
Doreen, once again you delivered up a “sweet” article. We know that we can always count on you to impart some local knowledge about the chocolate business throughout the world. It looks like your exploration for the best chocolates from Trinidad was a huge success.
It was indeed, Jeff. I am always amazed at how much I learn in my chocolate travels. The world of chocolate is so massive and enticing. 🙂
Loved ‘meeting’ the women who are behind the great chocolates of Trinidad! (And good idea to keep your stash in the carry-on!)
Thanks, Jackie. Great having you join me virtually on my chocolate travels. 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words Doreen. It was a pleasure to have been featured and nice to see other women in chocolate being featured. Looking forward to seeing you next year in Salon du Chocolat.
Thanks so much for your comment. Which Salon du Chocolat do you mean? I’m not planning to go to Paris (was at theirs Salon in ‘09) but I know they have them at many cities around the world.
I’m always amazed at how many passionate chocolate lovers are. Chocolate is definitely in the fabric of life.
What a great way to describe it, Janet! Chocolate does indeed contribute to the fabric of life! ❤️
I’m thrilled to know that it is the women of Trinidad who are making the chocolate waves!
Hi Esther. Indeed! I hadn’t realized it at the time, as there are many men who are growing cocoa and involved in farm activities around chocolate and cocoa. But it is indeed women who are making the most irresistible chocolate on the island of Trinidad. 🙂
My mouth is watering, Doreen! And I want your job! ha, ha. I’m sorry that I don’t often enough get time to read your posts because they are wonderful. It’s grand to see that all of these Chocolatiers are women, as well.
Thanks so much for your words of support, Judy! I do love what I do. and it does give me great pleasure when I can feature great women who are doing great things with chocolate. 🙂
Great descriptive article, Doreen. I swear my tastebuds were responding to the flavours you describe. Passionfruit and raspberry with a beautiful chocolate!! Oh Wow!
I’m comforted that passionfruit is at it’s best when mature and wrinkled.
The diverse and lovely people you meet are another benefit you share with us from your travels. Bravo to them for following their calling. And to you, too ! LL
Thanks so much for your comment, Linda. Yes, the great people I meet in my chocolate travels are equally important to me as the chocolate they are making or cocoa they are growing. And yes, passionfruit is one of my favourite things to be paired with chocolate, and Gina’s chocolate raspberry truffle was a party in the mouth! 🙂
Now is the perfect time of year to investigate and try new chocolates.. Trinitario cocoa bars sound amazing
Hi Molly and welcome to Chocolatour! I see you write a lot about Spain. Spain makes great chocolate in both the old world tradition, as well as some contemporary chocolatiers that are making some amazing chocolate. Every day of the year is a good time to discover great chocolate. 🙂 I hope you’ll return to this site again soon.
Loved this post, Doreen. The guava-cheese chocolate sounds intriguing. And the idea of an architect chocolatier is also intriguing. Adore the photo of you enjoying your stash! Good tip about carrying chocolate in carry-on.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Linda. It’s always great hearing from you. Congrats on your new book. I know how much work you’ve put into the research and have enjoyed your blog posts that undoubtedly were fodder for the book. I’m hoping to do the same shortly, as volume II of Chocolatour is long overdue. 🙂
It is wonderful to hear the women of Trinidad are thriving in the chocolate industry.
The chocolates featured look tantalising. I enjoy eating quality chocolate- the kind that feels velvety on your tongue and has an array of flavours that blend in your mouth.
You’re so right, Phoenicia. when we eat quality chocolate, it is an entirely different experience than eating cheap chocolate candy. 🙂
Thank you, Doreen! Great selection and such positive feedback 🙂 Lovely article and we are so proud to be featured 🙂
Warm regards,
Isabel
Thanks very much for your comment, Isabel. It is always such a pleasure for me to discover really good chocolate in unexpected destinations such as Trinidad. Do keep me in the loop of any new developments at Cocobel.
Thank you so much for your fabulous article: your work does so much to promote our cocoa and chocolate to the rest of the world.
With love and gratitude,
Gina Hardy
Thanks so much for those words of support, Gina. They mean the world to me. It is truly my goal to educate the public about the best chocolate of the world, and encourage them to travel to its source, as in most cases, makers of small batch chocolate do not do international shipping. If you do, let my readers know, as I see Christine from Canada is already asking if any of the chocolate I’ve mentioned is available in Canada.
Wow–you really met some fascinating women during this trip, and as you always do, packed a lot into the days you were there. Is any of this chocolate available in Canada? I’d certainly love to try some. I’ll have to remember your tip about packing chocolate in the carry-on luggage. We’ll definitely need some on our next trip to New Zealand. I’m not sure that the great chocolate they have there will actually make it home, but we can try to bring you some.
Hi Christine. Yes, packing chocolate in your carry-on is the only way to ensure it will get home safely, and hopefully, without damage. That’s more important for truffles and fresh chocolates, but even chocolate bars can experience extensive damage if overheated. I’d love to taste some NZ Chocolate. Off the top of my head, I can’t recall if I’ve tasted any. There may be some packaging in my stash, but if I can’t recall it, it likely means it wasn’t super great. Always on the search for something amazing … 🙂