Day 4 - From Cocoa Farms to Salsa Nights

Today we visited the country’s first cocoa farm, established in 1879, followed by a visit to Ghana’s first and only botanical garden. The Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm, still operational today, harvests beans three times a year. We learned that farmers plant banana and plantain trees alongside cocoa to provide essential shade. Harvesting of the cocoa pods involves using long sticks with metal hooks to twist the pods off tall trees, enabling the farmer to preserve the health of the tree.

We were surprised to learn that here in Ghana, cocoa beans are harvested and dried naturally as the fresh beans are fermented in plantain or banana leaves for about seven days and then sun-dried for three weeks, eventually developing the classic very dark chocolate flavor. Every part of the cocoa plant is put to good use as the shells are repurposed to make African black soap, a natural cleanser known for its many health benefits. 

                                      

At the Aburi Botanical Garden, we were greeted by incredibly tall palm trees.  Another surprise here, we learned that these majestic trees were brought over from Florida by the colonizers who noted that they grew better in Ghana than back in the States.

We also learned about the many spices grown in the garden along with their many medicinal and flavorful uses. For example, nutmeg has maze that is used in pepper spray, and the seed itself can be used as the spice and a natural sedative. Additionally, we learned about male and female trees, and how they could be pollinated by each other.

                              

 
                                       

We topped the day off with a night of salsa dancing in Accra proper.

Grace M.