Eco news from Thailand - educational chocolate courses for children in Hua Hin

Photo-report  from our program at The British Educational Children's Center

    Recent activity of Kalos Eco & Tree Owners Club mostly includes planting the rare & special  kinds of trees all the way we are, supported by sharing the experience, dispensation of seeds and tasting of chocolate and other "products from the trees" with new people we've met. Coming to Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province we tested new approach in both to find active energetic patrons for planting new trees and increase the environmental awareness - to give lectures to the kids, supported with planting the seeds of cacao for their own garden and tasting the freshly-made chocolate. The first place which holds the event was The British Educational Children’s Centre. With big help of school's teachers - special thanks to Adriana!) - each of about 30 kids from 7 to 11 years planted own seed of cacao, tasted the chocolate and learned about the life of cacao tree. Venus just appeared in a sky that morning first of June - what's give us as choco-lovers extra-reasons to be happy!

    We were glad to see that our little listeners were smart, full of attention, open-minded and already had extensive knowledge about the world around. They loves the chocolate and tea we served (not surprise - it was tea made from ancient trees at north of Thailand) and excited to plant their cacao seeds. We going to continue - as we also got very positive experience and hope that dozens of young cacao sprouts soon will have a new life. 

Program points as we, wrote it for us to remind the order:

​We all know the chocolate; We love it; When we eat it we feel happy.
But do you know how to make a chocolate, and how cacao look like?
Time ago I'm also didn't know any idea how cacao look like, even after visiting some chocolate museums and factories; even when by lucky chance we start to live near to trees of Cacao; in the South of country, in a wonderful place on a river and near the waterfall.
Our house was small & modest, however cosy and has a awesome views to the water below, surrounded by various interesting trees and other plants, including cacao;
Trees there are so many, that we recognized chocolate trees not immediately - 
as they small and not-remarkable on a scenes with other big-neighbors from the first sight
until the tree trunks became blossoming and soon were fulfilled big fruits - Cacao.

Cacao has very ancient history.
Theo Brono -Food of God - Shukra or Venus give to Earth & people
Tribes of Maya & Atzech considered cacao as a sacred tree
 our meeting with cacao also was exciting and miracle

Tree of cacao is not big - it give the energy to fruits growing from trunk
First appearing the flowers; Then the fruits coming from them
Trees loves shady places with lots of water
Cacao glad to meet Big neighbours - giants, which giveour tree the shadow from direct sunlight
can live even insde the house under care, but seldom has fruits there
because there are no much space in a pod for the roots - and roots is the place of power
for the first years roots growing faster than the tree we see
we even worried that tree growing too slow - first fruits coming after 7-8 years

harvest collected twice a year
looking at the size, color of cabosse and... how it sounds - when there is sound of hollow drum - fruits ready
after collecting cacao opened to get the fruit flesh
to put it under the Sun - for fermentation
cacao has a special relations with Sun
First, covering its leaves in shadow, beans are taking-eating the rays of Sun
then being opened, temperature going up - beans becaming so hot that we can even burn if touch it
10 to 14 days to be ready - dried

When we getting them to create the chocolate
Anybody know how to make a chocolate?
Its simple - 3 ingredients - cacao- sugar - milk
we cn eat it even fresh - you can try

but for real chocolate first we need to roast the beans and clean them 
if we can we can roast cacao together and see what happens wiith beans
they mostly consist of valuable oils, full of goodnesses
Aroma fulfill the area...

Then we can make amazing chocolate desserts on any taste!

   ---------degustation of chocolate - ----------

--------planting of tree------------------
this place chosen not randomly!
Hua His is a special place with sweetest pineapples, litchi and other plants
as we bring here some cacao fruits and planted first 22, rains began":)))
Cacao loves rains. Here we are - first sprout in Hua Hin.
This trees will give a birth of your school's own cacao farm
We grow this tree together, and then each of you will grow own tree hhere in a pod with soil.
We will you show how to properly grow this divine Tree!

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Initial plan here was presentation of Dozen Hotels & Dozen Villas concept and creation of the first Dozen Hotels Hua Hin. To do that we decided to upgrade our online booking software - that's how it looks now, installing there new option of "week-end rate" and new nice & easy template. By chance it was rainy all our stay here and the first sprouts of Hua Hin cacao appears earlier that the first Dozen of hotels. So the plan was changed and faced to the Nature!