Food of the Gods

Something extraordinary happened 5,000 years ago.

The Mayans and Aztecs almost simultaneously discovered cacao. It came at the perfect time in history because we were domesticating the land right then. While I am not a big fan of taming the land and hunting out its animals, at least one good thing came from that moment: Chocolate.

Over the years, Beverly and I have become aficionados, tasting chocolate from its original source, Ecuador. We have followed its journey to our tables, from Spain to Europe in the Bronze Age, to Portugal, to São Tomé Island in West Africa.

Recently, we sampled chocolate from Uganda, grown and produced on the slopes of the Ruwenzori near to where vanilla is grown. It is mixed with salt, chilli, or mint or taken straight up at 95% cacao, beyond which it is tastier to eat the packaging than the chocolate itself.

“You know what I am going to ask, don’t you?” I asked Joel, who is our head pastry chef in our East African region. And he did know.

“Of course,” he replied and revealed the evening’s chocolate.

At Great Plains, we offer just a touch of chocolate to end each day: slices, flakes, bombs, truffles and some of the delights chosen for you by our chefs this week.

This is a big chocolate week, with Easter on the horizon, but the best way to get the most out of it is to choose great chocolate, not the mass-produced stuff.

A little darker, more bitter, and more intellectually significant, and as important, follow our lead and only buy Fair Trade chocolate because it is so easy to simply purchase it for taste and not conscience.

Drink it, chew it, let it melt, have it frozen or smear it on if you like, but enjoy the sweet moment this week.

Wild bird’s Nest

Shared by Chef Joel

Resident Executive Chef at Mara Plains Camp, Kenya

My upbringing in a leafy environment truly inspired me to bring this project to life. During my hikes, I often discovered fallen bird nests. These nests typically indicate a conflict between birds and snakes, where the mother bird prefers to abandon the nest rather than let the snake take her eggs. After those conflicts, I would find these tiny abandoned bird nests.

Great Plains Conservation has provided me the opportunity to enhance my culinary creativity, reflect on my past as a young explorer chef, and translate my upbringing onto a plate. With every aspect of my culinary creations served to guests, I share my experiences and passion for conservation.