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A Celebration of Chocolates
And , The Bittersweet Reality Behind Chocolate by Dolores Halbin , contributing writer
In January , I hosted an early ladies ’ night Valentine ’ s celebration all about chocolate . Joining me for this night of magic was cannabis RN extraordinaire April Hatch , the undefeatable cannabis businesswoman Karin Spinks , who drove from St . Louis , and a young woman I admire to my core , soon to be a licensed bachelor ’ s degree social worker Corina Merrick .
We gathered to open my box of 57 Chocolates . As we split each small square four ways , we watched the CBS Sunday Morning Special , The Bittersweet Reality Behind Chocolate , on YouTube . Priscilla and Kimberly Addison , the sisters who founded the 57 Chocolate company in the Rainforest outside of Accra , the capital of Ghana , poured the chocolates we were eating into the molds of the Adenkra , the symbols of the Akan tribe used in sacred ceremonies . Every bar of chocolate these ladies make is a sacred ceremony . The chocolates include a guide for the Adenkra . We took turns reading the symbols on each chocolate as we ate it .
“ It ’ s like eating a flower ,” exclaimed April ( in photo above ) as we bit into the Bissap ( hibiscus flavor ) piece stamped with the
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Dwennimmen , The Ram ’ s Horns , “ symbol for strength and humanity .” I cannot think of anything that could make us stronger and more human than eating flowers and chocolate grown and harvested across the globe by these sisters . We joined them in heart and spirit . And we sent them a thank you video ! They are not alone .
The box of 57 Chocolates included a description of the symbols on the chocolate pieces . A very nice and helpful touch !
Myths of Chocolate
To have an intelligent conversation about chocolate , we need to dispel a few myths , like Swiss and French Chocolate . There is no such thing . The Theobroma tree , otherwise known as a chocolate tree , grows only in tropical paradises and under the branches of the larger trees of the Rainforest .
Roughly 60 % of our chocolate comes from Ghana . The sisters named 57 Chocolate after 1957 , the year Ghana gained her independence from Great Britain . “ We are channeling Ghana ’ s Independence Day spirit by manufacturing finished goods using the country ’ s resources to create delicious treats in small batches . We aspire to bring manufacturing back to Ghana . 57 is about patriotism and sparking the entrepreneurial spirit among the Ghanaian youth ,” the sisters write on their website .
I ordered this tiny box of chocolates ( above ) on October 8 , 2023 , after The Bittersweet Reality Behind Chocolate aired . I wasn ’ t alone . Thousands of viewers did the same . Over the past few months , my heart skipped a little beat each time a new email from 57 showed up . We followed their journey without complaint . At one point , the sisters could not get bubble wrap for shipping to ensure the chocolate didn ’ t melt along the way . We became their cheerleaders from across America . Three months later , I got my precious box of 57 Chocolates in the mail .
57 Chocolate company owners Kimberly ( on left ) and Priscilla Addison operate the African women-owned luxury chocolate brand that evokes 1957 — Ghana ’ s independence .