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Fermentary Museum Fermentary Culture Garden     The adventure at Belmont begins with a visit to the cocoa fermentary where unfolds the captivating story of the transformation of raw cocoa beans into a delicate product that is used for making chocolate.     Cocoa is harvested by sniping the oval shaped pods of the trees using mitten-shaped knives (called cocoa knives). The pods are heaped into piles, then cracked with a cutlass or machete and the white beans (seeds) are removed and placed into buckets or bags for transportation to the cocoa buying point. There the beans are placed into a sifter where excess water are drained out and debris (leaves, stones, broken pods etc.,) are removed. The beans are then weighed and placed in large wooden bins (fermenting boxes), covered with banana leaves and jute bags. The beans remain in boxes for 7-8 days during which time fermentation takes place. During fermentation the white substance covering the beans, disappears; the beans turn a rich shade of brown and flavour develops. The beans are turned from one box into another every two days to allow an even distribution of the heat that is produced during fermentation. Once fermented the beans are placed outside to dry in the sun on big wooden trays, for six to seven days. During that period workers walk through the beans to allow air to flow evenly through the beans and to aid with the drying. The beans then go through a cosmetic process called polishing and then they are bagged and sold to the Grenada Cocoa Association (GCA), the local cocoa farmers association responsible for selling and marketing cocoa overseas.     Belmont Estate is an agent for the  GCA and is responsible for buying wet cocoa from the farmers, drying the beans and selling them back to the Association. On buying days at Belmont, visitors can see the actually purchasing of the beans from farmers.  And on any day of the week there is one surety ...you will see beans being fermented, dried and then polished. The story of the cocoa is brought to life at the fermentary with the display of several pieces of machinery that are used in the semi-processing and by the demonstration of the traditional method of polishing the bean, by dancin' in old copper pots.       Visitors are shown a video entitled "Cocoa - Food of the Gods,  From the Field to Chocolate " and  can sample Belmont's "cocoa tea" (local hot chocolate) as they allow the fine bouquet of fermenting cocoa beans and the aroma of nutmegs, cloves, bay, pimento and other local spices to permeate their senses.     Together with The Grenada Chocolate Company, we have begun the Grenada Organic Chocolate Project. We have received organic certification for our farms and our organic cocoa is used by the Grenada Chocolate Company to produce Certified Organic Fine Dark Chocolate. We are the only company in the Caribbean to be producing this product. Weighing cocoa Drying cocoa Walking cocoa Dancin' cocoa

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It's Traditional Rural Life at its Best

Opened Sunday to Friday (closed on Saturdays)
Belmont, St. Patrick, Grenada, West Indies
Tel: 473-442-9524/26; Fax: 473-438-0705
[email protected]