Cocoa, chocolate and “itchy feet”

How cocoa makes you want to travel

This was last night’s motto at the multivision event of tourism expert Jürgen Bluhm  and ecologist Bea Maas at the little Gallery in Große Neugasse 44, 1040 Vienna. It was an evening to our taste, all about the history of cocoa, from Aztec and Maya cultures, the commerzialisation of their cultural heritage in tourism right up to our modern travel and endulgement cultures and current methods of cocoa production with all its harmful effects on people and the environment.

The term chocolate stems from the name of the first cocoa-drink in history, called xocóatl or xocólatl (which translates as „bitter water“ or cocoa water“). The word itself is Nahuatl, one of the most widely spread lindigenous languages in Mexico. Since its discovery by the Mexican pre-columbian cultures, cocoa has travelled a long way through history and the world. Once used as a currency, cocoa has become a daily indulgence to people all over the world as well as a commodity traded on the stock market. It has also become the centre of campaigns against child labour, monocultures and human as well as environmental exploitation.

Jürgen Bluhm puts the history of cocoa and the world around it into the center of his work. As expert in Mexican tourism, chocolate connaisseur and advocate of responsible tourism he takes his audience on an exciting journey to the historical roots of cocoa and inspires dreams of long walks through untouched nature and ecological cocoa plantations.

Bea Maas completes this journey with well founded findings and many, many fun-facts about ecological cocoa farming and the role of birds, bats and ants on cocoa plantations. Her findings are the result of many years of research on cocoa farms, mainly in Indonesia.

Our highlight at the event: If you have a sweet tooth (as we do), you will love the samples of organic chocolate and the refreshing taste of a freshly cut cocoa fruit. A wonderful tropical taste on a cold winters day in Vienna.

We are sure it was not the last time we met Jürgen and Bea, because when it comes to sustainability, chocolate and tourism, we have a lot in common. We are already looking forward to seeing you again!