A mug of cacao and the taste of coriander

The first sip of cacao took me straight back to my grandmother’s living room. As the bitter-sweet taste spread in my mouth, I was suddenly a kid again, sitting at her small, wooden table, my hands wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate which she had prepared me so many times before. Back then, I was surrounded by old Persian carpets, red curtains and her piano. Some cream covered the tip of my nose as I was listening to my granny’s stories or sometimes just the rattling of her knitting needles. Now, while sitting in one of the wooden huts of the Naso Indigenous people, I have realised how the same drink can connect two worlds which are so different. It is not longer my grandmother’s voice that is filling the room but barking dogs, chirping birds, and clucking chicken. Instead of porcelain, it is bamboo between my hands and it is not the fireplace which is spending warmth, but the tropical climate.

We spent three days in Bonyic which is a small Naso village near the Rio Teribe in the middle of the Panamanian rain forest in the north, close to the border to Costa Rica. During our stay, the Naso Indigenous People showed us many aspects of their daily life and although it took us a while to get used to this simple, nature connected way of living, we enjoyed it to the fullest. We took baths in the raging river to do the laundry and wash ourselves. We learnt how to cook over open fire, to thresh rice, and to grind cacao beans. We even got the opportunity to ride in traditional boats that are made of the trunk of a single tree. I cannot remember experiencing a ride even close to one we took to the king’s village. Surrounded by hundreds of rain forest giants, the Naso manoeuvred us through the stream without even having to think about which is the best trail to take. On the riverside, we saw many exotic animals, for example big iguana, colourful toucans, and red tree-climber-frogs. Another breathtaking experience was the hike through the vast rain forest which led past an abundance of plants no one of us had ever seen before. Our guide explained to us which of them were venomous and which could be used for bandaging or producing medicine. Throughout our adventures in nature, I often let my gaze roam around to absorb all the new impressions.

However, I am not quite sure yet if I will miss the taste of fresh coriander. There was no meal that did not include at least some of it, which led to heated discussions about whether to love or to hate it. Still, I enjoyed tasting food which the Naso grew themselves instead of the high processed things we are used to buy in our supermarkets. Also, the traditional clothing of the Naso has nothing to do with what can be seen in the streets of our hometowns. Loose, floral dresses and special shirts make it easy to recognise the Naso tribe even outside their own villages.

I bought some of the cacao which we had tasted while our stay with the Naso. Back home, I will sit at my grandmother’s table again. She will have made my hot chocolate out of the one I brought. Still, it will not taste the same as the time I drank it before. It probably will be the vibe of drinking it in the middle of the rain forest in a small Naso village that will give it its unforgettable taste.