Grenada Island Tour - Part 2
Seaduced
John & Jane Craven
Tue 1 Mar 2011 23:40
The next place was Leapers Hill. The story behind the name dates back to the 16th Century when Caribs still occupied the island of Grenada. Following a French invasion, the Caribs where driven to the north of the island to the top of this hill, but rather than surrender, they all jumped off the hill onto the rocks and sea below.
On a happier note, we then went to the Belmont Estate, a chocolate plantation and supplier to the famous Grenada Chocolate Company, which makes gorgeous dark chocolate. Again, as with the nutmeg production, a lot of the work is done by hand using traditional methods. Cocoa pods grow on trees and are picked by hand when they are yellow and ripe. Cocoa trees often seem to be hidden, and plantations aren't always obvious as the tree itself is delicate and needs the protection of other trees which are planted around it.
The fermented beans are lastly polished - the traditional method was to use people who 'danced the beans' - they put the beans in large coppers and 3 people danced on them, this process also required music and copious amounts of rum and so is no longer used - spoilsports, it would make a great pedicure! The beans are then packed in sacks, again with a hand painted stencil showing their destination.
The planation also does some nutmeg production, and they had mace drying - one of the main uses for mace is pepper spray - I had assumed mace was just a brand name but apparently not!
Our last main visit for the day was the Rivers Rum factory where they have been producing rum using a waterwheel since 1785 - it is the oldest rum distillery in the western hemisphere.
The final product is a rum about 75% ABV, about 150% proof - rocket fuel! They also do a slightly weaker one at 69% - not much better, needless to say we didn't buy any of this to take home.