ROOM + WILD NATURALS: Jordi Roca
The word “cacao” comes from the Mayan words “Ka’kau” meaning “heart blood,” and “Chokola’j” meaning “to drink together.” The Mayans believed that cacao was one of the ingredients used to create humanity, as well as restoring the balance and the connection to the divine.
In R+W Naturals, we connect with extraordinary people making waves in sustainability, design, architecture, gastronomy, wellness, and wildlife — from travel and hospitality industry icons to acclaimed architects, designers, influential artists, forward-thinking musicians, and boundary-pushing chefs.
Jordi Roca is an award-winning pastry chef of the three Michelin star restaurant El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain. In this instalment of Naturals, Jordi takes us on a journey to the Amazon to connect with the most ancient, mystical, and transformative ingredient - cacao. The trip to South America was the first stepping stone in the creation of his experiential hotel Casa Cacao, and, ultimately, finding the soul of the cocoa bean.
We spoke to Jordi about his eye-opening experience in the Amazon, the importance of fair trade sourcing, and what it means to break down one of the most well-known ingredients to its core.
R+W: Opening a food-focussed hotel is a beautiful and innovative continuation of what we’ve come to know of Jordi Roca from El Celler de Can Roca. Please tell us what made you venture into hospitality. What idea came first “the hotel” or “the immersive cacao experience”?
JR: Yes! It has been a beautiful story. There are several reasons for this decision. We had always wanted a space to receive customers who spent the night in Girona after visiting El Celler. The pieces fell into place, when Damian Allshop, a former collaborator of El Celler, returned to us. We took advantage of his background in the world of chocolate to create the chocolate workshop team. And, with my sister-in-law, Anna, being a teacher at the Hospitality School in Girona, we decided to move forward with the project.
R+W: In a world where each ingredient now has an origin and a story, what story does Casa Cacao tell?
JR: Casa Cacao seeks to spread the word about the process of making chocolate, from harvest to bar, and always with sustainability and fair trade in mind. We aim to make the best chocolate possible for the palate and the planet.
“Casa Cacao seeks to spread the word about the process of making chocolate, from harvest to bar, and always with sustainability and fair trade in mind. We aim to make the best chocolate possible for the palate and the planet. ”
R+W: Tell us about your trip to Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. What was most important for you on this journey? Were you looking to connect to cacao’s ancient history, searching for a place to source this magical ingredient, or understanding the spirituality behind it? What was the most fascinating thing that you learned?
JR: It was a fascinating trip. I wanted to know the genetic origin of the cocoa tree by going to the source: the Amazon. I was able to meet with indigenous communities and get to know their way of thinking; how they live in harmony with the environment, and how they consider cocoa to be a sacred tree. Since that trip, I can't look at cocoa the same.
“The leader of the arhuaco community in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range of Colombia received us with these words: “This is a sacred place. We have been here since the creation and the beginning of everything. Cacao, múnzuwa, was bequeathed to us by our father, Terunna, to guide us in all the activities inherent to our culture and to enable us to focus on them. Cacao is of vital importance in caring for our spirituality. For this reason, we advise our younger siblings, bunachu, when they obtain our product, that before tasting it, they should take a moment to appreciate this thousand-year-old tradition and the ancestral message that advocates peace and harmony among all that exists, seeking the balance of Mother Nature."
“I was able to meet with the indigenous communities of the Amazon and get to know their way of thinking; how they live in harmony with the environment, and how they consider cocoa to be a sacred tree. Since that trip, I can’t look at cocoa the same. ”
R+W: Let’s talk about the importance of sustainable ingredient sourcing, the people behind the product, and knowing where your ingredients come from. You source your cacao from the awajun community in the Peruvian Amazon area and from the arhuacos community in Sierra Nevada, Colombia among others as you have mentioned. Tell us about the positive impact your involvement and support had on these indigenous communities, as well as the Amazon as a whole. Are there any other indigenous community you support?
JR: Our relationship with the indigenous communities starts from the beginning. We have worked with the awajun through an association called TAJI MAT. Following strict regulations, we purchase their cacao whenever possible. With the arhuacos, we also work with a trader who helps them grow the cacao, and one of the best cocoa experts I've ever met - Mayumi Ogata, a Japanese woman who works side by side with the native communities. In addition, the sales from the ‘Casa Cacao’ book help support the Helvetas Foundation; a sustainable development NGO which supports the Peruvian cacao growing community.
R+W: Some of the products at Casa Cacao will be “wrapped in materials that come from recycling the fibers of the cocoa” as you have noted. What other steps towards sustainability does the hotel take?
JR: Yes! We use cocoa paper. In addition, the hotel has a solid commitment to sustainability - we make sure that all gastronomic offers are seasonal and local, and all of the hotel's amenities are plastic free. All of the glasses at the hotel are produced in our glass workshop, where we recycle glass bottles monthly to make various cups and ornaments. Discover more about our process by visiting Roca Recicla.
R+W: Cacao is as ancient as it is spiritual and was once used as currency and medicine. The Amazon is known for its medicinal plants. Did you engage in any mind-expanding ceremonies during your visit, such as ayahuasca? Have you thought about taking your own cacao experience further with cacao ceremonies?
JR: I wasn't lucky enough to participate in an ayahuasca ceremony in the jungle. I didn't look for it either. Talking to them, you understand that it's something intended for the native community, like a ceremony of integration into adult life that only they can access. You realize that this way of living is beyond the "tourist" circuit of spiritual experience.
“ I wasn’t lucky enough to participate in an ayahuasca ceremony in the jungle. I didn’t look for it either. Talking to them, you understand that it’s something intended for the native community, like a ceremony of integration into adult life that only they can access. You realize that this way of living is beyond the “tourist” circuit of spiritual experience.”
R+W: Chocolate is comparable to wine with its many flavour profiles. What surprising notes may we find in your chocolate? What are the different varieties of chocolate you currently carry, and which cocoa trees do they derive from? We are curious to learn about creole cacao, native to the Amazon rainforest.
JR: Exactly, the chocolate world is very similar to the wine world. The similarity is very curious when it comes to the perception of flavours. Wine and cacao share the same anthocyanins (a chemical compound that provides the red, purple, blue, or black colour depending on the ph level, as well as part of the flavour). In both properties, it is the human touch that has defined the final result, especially when it comes to fermentation.
With cacao criollo, I have seen really strange and different trees. Some are very small and don’t provide enough product, but act as a curiosity and an inspiration. We are currently developing a taste profile of cacao criollo from Tabasco, Mexico - an area where the Amazon tree was "domesticated". It is a very aromatic and, at the same time, subtle "white" cocoa, that will produce interesting results.
R+W: Each ingredient you’ve worked with, you strip to its core and take to the next level. How do you elevate the ingredient that was once thought of as “food of the gods”, while staying true to its integrity? Please expand on the concept of “reconnecting with the intangible dimension of what we eat.”
JR: Stripping the ingredient itself to the maximum. The first dessert we made from cocoa was a cocoa bean made from cocoa mousse from the Arguacos. The mousse was made with water so that no other element would alter the taste. We had also included the skin of the cocoa bean at the base and a whole cocoa bean on the side to eat with your fingers. This dish was presented in a container shaped like a cocoa bean. As part of the lid, we included a very light foam made with cocoa brandy which we call “l’esperit” (the soul).
R+W: What were some of the most memorable places or hotels you visited on your cacao discovery journey?
JR: It was not a comfortable trip with luxuries. We stayed in small towns and hostels on the river's bank at the edge of the Amazon. We explored by canoe and returned to our camp in the evening.
R+W: Has travelling to the depth of the Amazon changed your perspective on ethical travel?
JR: It makes you think about what these communities really need. A genuine effort exists to "help" them enter civilization and the market. But when you're there, you think it might be better not to touch anything and leave them alone, although they also have to cover necessities. Balance is difficult. This is where the initiatives that work with them are. But I am clear that tourism does not play a positive role, yet.
R+W: What has been your most transformative trip to date?
JR: The most shocking trip was this one to the heart of the Amazon. Also, the time I went to Nepal. During my visit, I was able to give hot chocolate to children from a Buddhist monastery in the Himalayan mountain range, who had never tasted chocolate. Seeing their faces of surprise and discovery was incredible—a gift.
“ [Travelling to the depth of the Amazon] makes you think about what the native communities really need. A genuine effort exists to “help” them enter civilization and the market. But when you’re there, you think it might be better not to touch anything and leave them alone. Balance is difficult. This is where the initiatives that work with them are. But I am clear that tourism does not play a positive role, yet. ”
Casa Cacao
Casa Cacao is a concept hotel by the world-renowned pastry chef Jordi Roca. Located in a historic building in Plaça Catalunya in Girona, Spain, the boutique hotel is complete with 15 suites, a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of the old town, and most importantly, a chocolate factory, shop and bar.
Six different kinds of chocolates with six unique origins are available for purchase at the shop. The source destinations include the Dominican Republic; Peru – where the beans are purchased from the awajun community in the Peruvian Amazon; the arhuacos community in Sierra Nevada, Colombia; as well as Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela.
Room + Wild works with nature retreats and individuals that set an example by supporting their native environments through a variety of initiatives, while giving guests a chance to make a difference. Wild Initiatives is our way of supporting truly sustainable hotels and their conservation work. Our most recent Wild Initiative was a partnership with The Calanoa Foundation of the Calanoa Hotel in the Colombian Amazon. We raised money and increased awareness of the Foundation, in turn helping conserve the biological and cultural diversity of the Amazonian region.
Contribute to the conservation of biological and cultural diversity of the Colombian Amazon.