Maria Arabia: Carrying Cacao Beyond Chocolate

The MA Arts and Lifestyle Journalism graduate discusses the e-zine she crafted for her final major project

“As I first started drafting this project, a cup of Colombian hot chocolate warming my hands I realised that there was so much more to that cup than just my need for sustenance. It was that touch of nostalgia that reminded me of the flavours of my home, that got me thinking of everything that had to happen for that cup to reach me, the incredible journey that cacao bean must have gone through and the many ways I could look at cacao, from its producers to its meaning to just the act of indulging in it.”

This storied excerpt is from Maria Arabia’s final major project–a zine titled Beyond: Theobroma Cacao that explores the role of cacao beyond bars of chocolate. Born and raised in Colombia, Maria moved to London in 2020 to pursue an MA in Arts and Lifestyle Journalism at LCC; a course that is presently being rebranded to MA Journalism with three distinct pathways. But Maria’s path to the masters programme was an unconventional one: unlike many of her peers, she didn’t always know that media and journalism were her calling. In fact, the 28-year-old studied food and culinary arts for her bachelors and then worked as a chef for a few years before joining a culinary show as a presenter. Here, Maria dipped her toes in the media world working as a live TV show host for a cooking programme filmed on cruises.

“One of the reasons why I was drawn to this course is because of the unit on Audio and Video Journalism,” says Maria, adding that she wanted to strengthen her broadcast experience while focusing on written journalism. Unsurprisingly, the 2021 graduate’s final major project is an intriguing blend of the different branches within creative journalism. The e-zine includes two long-form features, one review and three original cacao-based recipes with QR codes to audio-visual guides. The first piece–also Maria’s favourite one–revisits her Colombian roots; five years ago a peace treaty was signed that aimed to end the civil war and eradicate rising drug trade. The treaty encouraged local farmers to grow prosperous cacao while moving away from drug plantations; in her piece Maria interviews three farmers to understand the socio-political and practical reality of this agreement on ground.

The second long read explores the infamous cacao ceremonies that have become a fad in wellness circles worldwide, specifically in the UK. Through her piece, Maria breaks down these obfuscated ceremonies and divulges how the Western world has not only capitalised on but also appropriated an indigenous custom from oppressed Mesoamerican cultures. “I also attended a cacao ceremony in London to understand what parts of it are actually traditional and how much of it has been crafted to suit the wellness trend,” she says. While the first two pieces explore intersections of food with politics and identity, Maria embraces frivolity in the third piece. Here she reviews some of London’s Instagram-famous hot chocolate boutiques: Said Dal 1923, Chin Chin Labs, Hotel Chocolat and Dark Sugars. “That is another aspect I appreciate about this course, we could combine serious pieces with lighter, more fun ones,” she adds.

But for some, the highlight of the zine lies in the last segment: the cacao-based recipes that encourage sustainable nose-to-tail use of the cacao plant beyond the beans for chocolate. From a cacao martini for cocktail lovers and a tea-based pannacotta to serve your sweet tooth to a cacao-nib twist on Pandebonos, a traditional Colombian bread–the chef turned journalist leaves no stones unturned. “To be honest it can be a challenging time because you spend months on end working on the project but what really helped is time with our tutors and peer feedback. When you speak to your classmates and realise we’re all in this together, it is very encouraging”, says Maria.

Congratulations are in order for the recent graduate who has moved to Edinburgh and is getting married in 2022. Maria is sure she will continue to work within food development and media, whether it is audio, video or written journalism the one constant will be culinary content.

To check out Maria Arabia’s final major project click here.