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Chocolate. The Cacao Chronicles.

  • sarah816202
  • Jun 16
  • 2 min read

Long before it became the sweet treat we know today, cacao was a sacred fruit of the upper Amazon basin in Ecuador. Revered by the ancient Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs, it was transformed into a bitter ceremonial drink believed to be a gift from the gods. Centuries later, Spanish explorers introduced cacao to Europe, where sugar and innovation shaped modern chocolate.


Sepia toned painting person on the left wearing a skirt, standing. middle is a person wearing a skirt, a large necklace, sitting on a low bench, to the right is a person kneeling, wearing a skirt with a cup of drink on the low table in front of them. Various scrolls painted on the walls in the background.
Mayan lord sits before an individual with a container of frothed chocolate. - Source coastalcoacoa.co.uk

But chocolate’s story is inseparable from the rainforest. Cacao trees depend on tiny midges for pollination, and their future relies on healthy, biodiverse forests. Protecting these ecosystems means safeguarding the wildlife, pollinators, and habitats that make chocolate possible.


Main picture: Images of the flowers of the cacao tree in bud and flowers in bloom pink, white and off yellow. There are some unripened small green pods all of these are close to the brown tree trunk of the cacao. Inset picture is a macro image of a black insect it has micro hairs on its thorax and large antennae that are fanned, a striped abdomen.
Main: Cacao flowers on the Cacao Tree - Source kakaochocolatefactorytour.com Inset: Pollinating midge. The flowers of the Cacao tree are incredibly difficult to pollinate, this very small insect is know to perform this. Source wildpollinators-polliniserussauvages.ca

🍃 No rainforest, no chocolate...


Art inspiration for this week;

🎨 Draw a Cacao Pod. Focus on form and texture. The cacao pod hanging from a tree, highlighting its ridges and natural colours.


🎨 Meet the Pollinators. Create a small illustration of the tiny midges that pollinate cacao flowers. Show these important insects at work.


🎨 A Royal Welcome. Inspired by Emperor Montezuma’s banquet (1519). Design an ornate Aztec mug filled with frothy chocolate.


🎨 Vintage Chocolate Lab.Travel back to the 1800s. Draw an inventor beside a mechanical chocolate-making machine. Use sepia/brown tones only.


🎨 Guardians of the Rainforest. Illustrate rainforest wildlife connected to cacao’s natural habitat. Include toucans, macaws, and a hidden jaguar.


🎨 Chocolate Abstract Melt. Create an abstract artwork showing chocolate transforming from bean to smooth liquid. Use rich browns, ivory, and touches of gold.


✨ It will be a great evening of creativity! See you all soon.


Wednesday evening, 7:30 pm (UK time)


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