While growing up my mother repeatedly asked me,  “Do you know what's on your plate?”

I would respond almost annoyed “I know Mom! She would then finish by saying, “10 minutes ago it was in the garden.”

 

As a child I didn't realize that I was surrounded with one of the greatest luxuries in life having fresh, grown produce at the tip of my fingers. My father was completely dedicated to growing harvesting a garden sometimes larger than he could even handle.

 

Today searching ingredients is almost a mission, spending time in cacao plantations become a need, a personal resource, a sense of peace, discovering new terroirs is like climbing a new mountain that mother nature has to offer.

 

Smelling, touching and seeing while understanding spending time with cacao farmers takes me back to my childhood.