Category Archives: Cocoa Hernando discovers…

THE DOORS OF MARRAKESH

Cocoa Hernando discovers..., Morocco

Doors of Marrakesh

As I walked around the manic medina of Marrakesh, I became fascinated with the endless rows of doors sunk into the walls of the city’s bustling narrow streets. There were blue doors, green doors, wooden doors & doors painted in ornate arabic shapes. Door after door appear along the salmon pink walls as I weave in & out of the constant flow of street sellers & curious travellers. Some doors were open – revealing cafes, piles of spices & old men spinning wool. Others remained firmly shut, leaving me to imagine ancient houses of worship, secret restaurants, opulent riads, lush gardens & families chatting whilst supping mint tea behind these countless facades. What a mysterious city this is……CH

COCOA HERNANDO DISCOVERS BUDAPEST

Cocoa Hernando discovers..., FlavoursOfPlaces, Hungary

Budamarket

I actually went to Hungary to learn all about Paprika – this was the home of the dark red chilli introduced by the Turks several hundred years earlier. As I strolled around the markets of the old town, I could see paprika everywhere – the locals were obviously obsessed with this wonderful spice. There were stalls full of jars, tins & bottles of the red stuff wherever I looked. However, my favourite sight were the thousands chillies of which hung from walls, fences & stalls everywhere. I even saw houses almost completely covered by beautiful blankets crocheted out of rows of the red & sometimes yellow chillies.

As I sat in a bar writing, I began to chatting to a young Englishman who’d recently relocated to Hungary & was a few days away from getting married. He kindly invited me to the big day, which I didn’t hesitate to accept. I had a wonderful time at that party, in the beautiful surroundings of an old house on the Danube. And the food was delightful – I had more than a few dishes of goulash & lecso, both laden with Budapest’s finest spice….CH

COCOA HERNANDO DISCOVERS THE PHILIPPINES

Cocoa Hernando discovers..., FlavoursOfPlaces, Fruit, The Philippines

Cebu mango tree

While the morning sun begins to sneak through the forest canopy & the grey mist fades away, I used to love observing the jungle wildlife slowly waking up. The visitors often included a splendid grey hornbill which would land in the mango tree below my balcony. They’re such strange & beautiful birds and with that big awkward beak, you just wonder how it ever manages to take flight. This hornbill appeared to be quite a shy bird too & I think he loved the tree’s thick leaves which enabled him to easily shuffle away from view. To my envy, the hornbill had an almost endless supply of juicy green mangoes to gobble up from this big old tree. The sweet smell & taste of a mango has always been a favourite of mine & if I was early enough, I was sometimes able to beat my feathered friend in the race for breakfast. Of course, I’d always leave try & leave him some. And I’m sure he’d prefer to share his fruit with me rather than with those troublesome monkeys…..CH

COCOA HERNANDO DISCOVERS PALM BEACH

Cocoa Hernando discovers..., Nuts, USA

Palm Beach
It had been at least 20 minutes since i’d started throwing stones up at those big old coconut trees. I must have made at least 50 attempts. It was my ultimate coconut shy, with a prize far superior to any florescent fairground toy – the world’s freshest coconut!

All this effort didn’t really bother me too much though, since i was now absolutely determined to taste one of Florida’s finest flavours. The cool sea breeze was also incredibly calming & kept encouraging me to take just one more shot…….again & again. But whilst my weary eyes made aim once more, a dull thud broke the gentle sound of the waves & my vision quickly descended towards the floor.

There it was, my well earned prize, sunbathing in the sand. I heard an ironic cheer in the background. My pathetic efforts had attracted a group of fisherman who’d obviously enjoyed the coconut show.

I picked up the nut & nervously hit the shell hard against a nearby rock. Whack! To the dismay of my audience, it cracked almost right down the middle, as if sliced by an expert. We are the champions my friends! I picked up the two wooden cups & began to sup the watery milk. It tasted so sweet. Sweeter than i’d ever remembered. I waved to smugly to my fans & slowly headed back to my hotel, whilst cutting & savouring chunks of the wonderful white coconut flesh. Bliss…..CH