Caribbean-Style Hot Cocoa Tea Sticks

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Photo by: Becky Strauss

I was in St. Lucia for the first time right before Christmas, and based on the warm people, amazing food and spectacular scenery, it won’t be the last. I spent some time touring Jade Mountain’s private organic farm (watch the magazine for an upcoming article) where I had the pleasure of trying a local specialty – cocoa tea – for the first time. It’s like Christmas-flavored hot cocoa; I was hooked instantly. St. Lucian cocoa sticks, the basis for the tea, are made from locally grown cocoa. After the beans are harvested, they’re dried, roasted, shelled and ground to a paste. Into this intensely aromatic paste is added a number of spices – nutmeg, bay leaf, vanilla, cinnamon, pepper – and the paste is rolled into a delicious chocolate stick. The stick dries and hardens, and when it’s solid, bits of it are shaved off with a grater, like parmesan cheese, into warm milk, simmering with sugar and a little cornstarch to thicken the tea. A few minutes later, and voila, you’ve got homemade St. Lucian cocoa tea. Next time you’re in St. Lucia, pick a few of the versatile chocolate batons up for your desserts at home – shave the chocolate not only into tea, but into cookies, brownies, whipped cream. Let your sweet tooth be your guide, and let us know what you concoct!