Suriname has a long and rich history in cocoa. The cultivation and processing of Theobroma cacao took place from the second half of the 17th century. While the Dutch claim to have been the first to introduce cocoa for cultivation, the Brazilian-Portuguese linguistic roots of ‘skrati’ – the Sranan Tongo word for processed cocoa and the hot drink made with it – hint at the role played by Jews from the Pernambuco region during the initial phase. Not knowing that a unique indigenous cacao was growing inland, plant material was imported. First from the Orinoco Delta, then from Brazil, and finally from Trinidad and Costa Rica.

During slavery, cocoa was mainly grown as a bycrop on coffee plantations. Coffee and cocoa grew well together under the canopy of the shade tree called “kofi mama”. At this time, cocoa was only drunk as a beverage. Cocoa cultivation only took off in earnest in the second half of the 19th century, when new inventions in Europe made the production of chocolate bars possible for the first time, leading to a sharp increase in the demand for cocoa. By 1895, more than 2 million trees were grown, half of which were planted by small farmers. An outbreak of the dreaded curly leaf disease, low prices and competition from West African bulk cocoa led to a steady decline of the crop. When Tan Bun Skrati started in 2010, cocoa was no longer grown on a large scale. The last active plantation, “Peperpot”, had ceased production 13 years earlier.

All this time – less sensitive to the ups and downs that cocoa had to deal with as a cash crop for export – the Surinamese cottage industry of skrati-making remained active. For centuries it met the local need for cocoa, an impressive 100,000 kilos in 1920. The import of cheap mass-produced cocoa powder dealt a near-fatal blow to the craft. Goods from abroad were held in higher esteem than those made by local hands, and many skrati makers ceased business.

The younger generations no longer grew up with mothers and grandmothers making cocoa from the fresh fruit. Less than a decade ago, the old tradition of making cocoa had almost completely disappeared.

From poor to rich
In the meantime, there has been a renewed interest worldwide in artisanal quality chocolate made with cocoa whose origin can be traced. By tapping into that niche market with premium products, 72%, 80% and 100% chocolate bars and pralines, Tan Bun Skrati has effectively turned the story of Surinamese cocoa into a real poor-to-rich story: the ugly duckling that ripens into a beautiful swan. In the process, Suriname is being rebranded as a sought-after tourist destination for the artisan chocolate lover.

Now that local Surinamese cocoa is getting more attention, new trees are being planted and the demand for local cocoa is growing steadily again. To meet this rising demand, Tan Bun Skrati has also started producing the old-style, coarsely ground cocoa. And with that, the circle of Skati’s story is complete.