Bolt your doors! Seriously……….
On Sunday, our new friend, Diego, suggested that we visit Villa Vanilla, a small, local farm that grows and processes a variety of different kinds of spices. We thought it was a great idea. We are all about education! So, early on Tuesday morning, we climbed aboard a 6 passenger van with 4 other people to make the journey to the farm down the tooth-clattering unpaved road just outside of town. (By the time we got there, we needed some of the soothing herbs they grow there to realign our insides! WOW!) It is on the ride to the farm that one of the women in the van told us a hair raising tale about her experience the day before with a “monster monkey”.
It seems that the sliding glass door in the apartment where she and her husband were staying didn’t have a good latch on it and a very clever monkey opened the door and came into the apartment. They got it out and decided they would put a barricade up at the door so the monkey couldn’t get in again. (I might have called the owner to see if a better latch could be put on the door. But, that’s me…and, we are in Costa Rica!)
Anyway, the next day, the monkeys were so incensed at their inability to enter, that one of them picked up a propane tank from the porch and began to shake it at the 2 who were gazing out the door. The monkeys here are bold enough to do this, but I can’t imagine how big the monkey would have to be in order for it to pick up a propane tank. The ones we have seen have all been pretty small. HMMMMMM…..maybe this is one of those “fish tales”. You know the ones….”I caught a fish this big! I guess we’ll never know. But, it was an interesting way to start the day.
The tour was definitely worth the bumpy ride! What a great learning experience…..and tasty, too. We learned about how vanilla, cacao, white and black pepper, and cinnamon are grown on the farm and processed had some fun tastes of things as we went! Fun!
We learned that vanilla grows on a vine that wraps itself around a tree to grow. It doesn’t damage the tree, but just uses it for support. Here’s another fun fact for those of you who like to use vanilla beans. The reason the vanilla beans we see in our stores are so expensive is because it is harvested and processed all by hand…here, and everywhere else. There’s no other way to do it. It’s the most expensive spice to purchase…just behind saffron! I also learned that vanilla contains alcohol. The cheaper vanilla that you find from time to time has the most. I was surprised that I didn’t know this. I like to cook!
We also learned that cinnamon can be great for you. But, the type we see in our stores in the United States is not great for you and can be toxic if you get too much. The cinnamon here in Costa Rica is a different type and is much better for you…good for inflammation. (I might check that out for my back issue, along with some turmeric, which also has an anti-inflammatory effect!) We also learned that cinnamon is actually a tree, and one has to peel the first layer or 2 of the tree bark in order to get to the cinnamon. The guide demonstrated this with her trusty knife, and gave us a piece to taste. It was like dentine. It lasted in your mouth like chewing gum, but without the sticky stuff….
Of course, we also learned about cacao and how it grows and is processed. The fruit in which the beans grow looked like a short, fat gourd. It was soft. The guide easily broke it open with her hands, and inside the shell we found the beans surrounded by some flesh….looked like the inside of a pomegranate, only with bigger seeds. We each ate a bean. The flesh tasted like citrus and was a nice counterpoint to the cocoa flavor of the bean. Then, we tasted some chocolate nibs and a small piece of their dark chocolate candy. Yum!
After the demonstration, we toured the farm, which is really like a small forest where all of the plants grow together in harmony.
As we walked, the guide pointed out the different plants and talked to us about some of the flowers we were seeing as well.
The guide then led us to a small reception center that overlooked the farm. The view was just beautiful with the forest in front and the mountain in the background.
As we were enjoying the ambiance, the guide appeared with some treats! I love treats! We had a taste of some items that are made on site with ingredients from the farm. We had a professional baker in our group and she deemed the snacks to be top notch!
Of course, there was a stop at the gift shop as we were leaving as well, where we were able to buy some of the items. And, of course, we all bought some.
On the way back to Quepos, our tummies full of goodies, our group all agreed that it was a morning well spent……very entertaining and educational.
Vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon, pepper…all the things that make our food taste so good. Who knew some of them can also have medicinal qualities?! Finally, something that tastes good and is good for you, too! HA!
Spice up your lives, people. You will be better for it!
Travel With Betsy 
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