Aguada festival celebrates the wonders of cacao

Aguada Mayor Christian Cortés Feliciano, at right, with Juan Echevarría García, creator of the Jeanmarie Chocolat brand.

By The Star Staff

The second edition of the Aguada Sab a Cacao Festival, which took place over the weekend at the recently remodeled Ismael “Chavalillo” Delgado Coliseum, was dedicated to Maribel Carrero Crespo, an expert creator and producer of artisanal chocolates and cacao products.

“This is a municipal initiative that brings together producers of this unique fruit, which is the basis for making chocolate,” Aguada Mayor Christian Cortés Feliciano noted. “You can’t imagine the wide variety of things that come from cacao. Here we have another valuable example of how our Puerto Rican land produces unique quality. In the so-called industrial term ‘fine aroma cacao,’ the most sought-after in the world, it is produced here in Aguada.”

There are 23 farms in the northwestern coastal municipality producing cacao, making it the top location for the product in Puerto Rico.

Sunday, the festival’s second and final day, began with a workshop on the cacao industry as a national project, with Juan Echevarría García, creator of the Jeanmarie Chocolat brand, which already exports outside of Puerto Rico.

“When so many people talk about reinventing themselves, Juan is a fantastic example of how to be an entrepreneur, produce quality, and be successful,” Cortés Feliciano said.

Echevarría worked for many years as a manager in the manufacturing industry, which was devastated by the phasing out of Section 936. Upon learning of the benefits of cacao, he decided to start his own business and today serves as an example to many. The farmer has collaborated with Canadian chocolatier Francis Marchinson.

Also on Sunday there were presentations by Dr. Verónica Santiago Beauchamp from the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Extension Program, discussed the nutritional benefits of cacao. Educators Selena Méndez Cruz and Gloria Santana, meanwhile, addressed added value and recipes, among other topics.

Additional presentations focused on cacao varieties, their cultivation, and exhibits, as well as the artisanal production of cacao, a process explored in a presentation by Maribel Carrero.

“We dedicate the event to her, as she is an expert creator and producer of artisanal chocolates and cacao products,” the mayor said. “A native of the Atalaya neighborhood of Aguada, she has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the promotion and development of local cacao since 2019. Carrero actively participates in the Aguada Artisanal Market and the Rincón Farmers Market, where her products stand out for their quality and flavor.”