Chocolate… food of the gods someone said? Well I’d say the cocoa fruit is one of God’s most delectable creations 
Perhaps I’m a little biased because I come from the Cocoa Republic of Trinidad & Tobago! This is the place that gave the world the hybrid high flavour cocoa bean known as the Trinitario. Don’t take my word for it… google it!
The Trinitario cocoa is the key ingredient in many of the world’s fine chocolates. Trinitario cocoa gives a distinct flavour to the bulk cocoa from Africa and South America but in Trinidad & Tobago you can get the pure unadulterated chocolate bars made with 100% Trinitario. This is divine and decadent all at once.
Now that I’ve declared my obvious bias, let me share my favourite 100% full-flavoured, full-bodied Trinitario chocolates, all found I my homeland. While some are available for sale overseas, I recommend visiting T&T so you can see, smell, sample and savour at the source:
- T&T Fine Cocoa Company (www.ttfinecocoa.com)--) tops my list with their emblematic steelpan tins that make a fantastic souvenir of T&T’s musical gift to the world. When you open up the tin, the exceptional and authentic fruity flavours tickle your nostrils and invite you to dive right in. No wonder they’ve won 5 Academy of Chocolate awards in addition to my loyalty!
- Cocobel (www.cocobel.com)--) this is fine art combined with fine flavour. The only problem is these chocolates are so pretty I stare at them and don’t want to ruin the artwork by eating them. Serious existential question…to eat or not to eat, what a dilemma
- Cocoa Republic (www.cocoarepublic.com)--) I love these first of all for their cute educational packaging. Once you remove the outer paper package followed by the foil wrapper, a beautifully crafted chocolate bar reveals itself… then the aroma of the cocoa hits you. Before you know it, the entire bar disappears!
- Tobago Estate chocolates- Now this is not just a chocolate, it’s a culinary experience! Why settle for the chocolate bar when you can wander around the estate where the cocoa beans came from? Here you can spend the day at the lush cocoa estate, see and taste the raw cocoa pods, meet the folks who transform the raw cocoa beans into pure pleasure, then sink your teeth into the refined cocoa known as chocolate! https://www.facebook.com/TOBAGO-COCOA-ESTATE-WI-LTD-128853550465547/
- Lopinot Chocolate Company- Here is a winning combination! Chocolate coupled with history is a wonderful way to spend the day in the historic Lopinot park. Very kid-friendly :-)(https://www.facebook.com/Lopinot-Chocolate-Company-Ltd-1610072792564311/) )