Today might be my favorite day of the trip, and it is technically only day two in Amsterdam. To start off our morning, we had a lovely traditional Dutch breakfast in the hotel, and headed to our first activity of the day, a Canal Cruise. We were taken all around Center City, and we were able to see more of the docks, the very expensive boat houses, and some of their political buildings! Fun fact, the District Attorney’s Office has small prisons in the basement.
Once we were done with the cruise, we took a quick lunch break where I got a delicious sushi wrap at the local grocery store and we ate along the water.
Soon after, we headed to my favorite place of the day, Cacao and Spice. We split off into two groups, and first met with Salome, the co-owner of Cacao and Spice. She explained to us how producing chocolate is single estate, and they resell chocolate from companies who work with cacao from small regions, focus on direct trade, and small chocolate makers. She also told us how Amsterdam is the world’s biggest harbor for cacao in the world, which has its positives and negatives. For example, they face the consequences of deforestation and child labor. But, because Amsterdam is the hub, they are trying to make positive sustainable changes.
Cacao and Spice is apart of a new project that encourages small sustainable and entrepreneurial businesses to replace brothels in hopes of revamping Amsterdam’s reputation. Aside from the grand scheme initiatives Cacao and Spice is a part of, they make sure they use every ounce of the cacao bean. The outer shell they keep and send to a floor maker, who chops it up, flattens it out, and installs, which is in the store. During the fermentation process, the cacao bean extracts a juice, and when sugar is added, it tastes like a fruity drink, which they sell in store alongside the chocolates and spices. She explained that the processes of extracting the juice and using the outer shell can increase the income of farms by 30-40%. She finished off by explaining how the most sustainable way to produce chocolate is in country. We were shocked to find out that only 5% of regions make the chocolate in the location of the beans. If more countries with cacao beans made chocolate, there would be a surplus of jobs!
After feeling like a chocolatier, she gave us samples, and we were blown away. We learned how to eat chocolate the correct way: smell, small bite, let it melt, then eat the rest. This made a huge difference when trying to figure out all of the flavors. We tried chocolate from Peru and Madagascar. My personal favorite was the Carolina Reaper chocolate, which I look forward to having my family try.
Once we finished our amazing tasting, we shifted our attention to Salome’s husband, Ian, who gave us a walking tour. We walked around the neighborhood and he told us more about the other businesses who are a part of the project Cacao and Spice is. He also told us a lot about the history of the city. We passed a salvation army, and he explained that a woman who still lives in the house saved 75 Jewish babies during the Holocaust. We also visited the stock exchange, and learned about the Dutch bull tradition and had a small photo-op! He lastly took us around the cool shops, which inspired us to take a small shopping trip before our delicious Italian dinner.
Cacao and Spice’s business practice are a lot different from the ones in the United States. They really take pride in making a positive impact on the environment and using all the resources they have to do so. While I have seen this in some businesses in Pittsburgh, such as the Refillery, most businesses do not participate, especially the big chocolate makers such as Hershey.
Overall, today was amazing, and I cannot wait to visit the tulips bright and early tomorrow 🙂