Science, History and Culture of Chocolate

• The Kindness Found in Costa Rica

  Lucy Gibson

  July 7, 2022

  Heading into my Costa Rica trip, I thought I knew what to expect. I have traveled in Central America a lot in the last few years and I feel like I am familiar with the norms of the culture. What I did not expect from Costa Rica was the pleasantness of the people and the…

  Posted in: Choco Rica: The Science, History and Culture of Chocolate, Costa Rica, Faculty-led, Maymester, Science, History and Culture of Chocolate

• From Bean to Bar and City to City

  Lucy Gibson

  July 1, 2022

  Traveling to Costa Rica as a study abroad trip was the best decision I made all summer. Our group of 13 students dove right into the rich culture of Central America where we experienced new food, new cultural norms, and a new language. I had many new thoughts and takeaways from this trip, especially after…

  Posted in: Choco Rica: The Science, History and Culture of Chocolate, Costa Rica, Faculty-led, Maymester, Science, History and Culture of Chocolate

• My Favorite Costa Rican Excursion

  Lucy Gibson

  July 1, 2022

  My favorite part of my two-week trip to Costa Rica, besides the zip-lining, was the first night’s stay at La Carolina Lodge and our trip to Finca El Portal. La Carolina Lodge is a family-owned lodge centered around sustainable living. As guests here, we had opportunities to participate in farm life, relax in the wood-fired…

  Posted in: Choco Rica: The Science, History and Culture of Chocolate, Costa Rica, Faculty-led, Maymester, Science, History and Culture of Chocolate

• Chocolate, Chocolate, and More Chocolate!

  Madeline Butler

  July 1, 2022

  I obviously can’t go on a study abroad about chocolate and not talk about chocolate! The purpose of our trip was to learn about the science, history and culture of chocolate. We visited multiple different types of cacao farms, chocolate production factories, we lectured on every part of the process of turning a cacao bean…

  Posted in: Choco Rica: The Science, History and Culture of Chocolate, Costa Rica, Maymester, Science, History and Culture of Chocolate

• Bean to Bar: Small Farms vs. Big Farms.

  Madeline Butler

  June 29, 2022

  One thing that we got to learn about while learning about chocolate production is the differences in large and small cacao farms in Costa Rica. The first farm we visited was owned by a man named Edwin, who owned and operated his farm with only the help of his wife and one employee. He gave…

  Posted in: Choco Rica: The Science, History and Culture of Chocolate, Costa Rica, Faculty-led, Maymester, Program type, Science, History and Culture of Chocolate