Amedei of Tuscany, Italy is probably the world's finest chocolate manufacturer. The small company was founded by a brother and sister, Alessio and Cecilia Tessieri in 1990, and manufactures chocolate from the start to finish, selecting the finest cocoa beans primarily from Venezuela and the Caribbean (Jamaica, Trinidad, Grenada), Ecuador and Madagascar and turning them into chocolate - in contrast to large chocolate companies which buy blocks of chocolate from large commercial factories which use low grade cocoa beans from large plantations and refined sugar to make the chocolate they then sell on. Research Amedei
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is an organisation made up of former British colonies in the Caribbean whose aim is to promote cooperation in economic, cultural and technological matters, as well as coordinating a common foreign policy. The Caribbean Community was founded in 1973. Research Caribbean Community
The Gulf Stream is a well-known oceanic current, so called because it issues from the Gulf of Mexico. It owes its origin to the fact that the westward moving waters of the tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean, encountering the eastward projection of South America, become divided into two currents, one setting southwards along the Brazilian coast, and the other northward past the mouths of the Amazon and Orinoco, into the Caribbean Sea. It then enters the Gulf of Mexico, and thence emerges through the Channel of Florida as the Gulf Stream. Its course is next to the north and eastwards, in a direction parallel to the coast of the United States, past Cape Hatteras, along the southern edge of the 'great banks' of Nantucket and Newfoundland (between the meridians of 48 and 60 degrees west), after which its course as a distinct current is less obvious.
In the earlier part of its course, especially when rounding the extremity of Florida, the Gulf Stream forms a well-defined current, distinguished by its high temperature and its deep blue or indigo colour. On account of the descent of the Polar or Baffin Bay current along the coast in a direction opposite to that of the Gulf Stream, the water on its inland side is colder than that to the eastward of it. The difference of temperature between the Gulf Stream and this cold current sometimes amounts to 20 or even 30 degrees Fahrenheit
The velocity of the Gulf Stream varies with its course. Within the Florida Channel it attains a mean of 65 miles per day, this sinks to 56 miles off Charleston, becomes 36 miles to 46 off Nautucket, and 28 miles to the south of the Newfoundland Banks; 300 miles to the eastward of Newfoundland its movement is hardly perceptible. At the bottom of the Florida Channel the observed temperature is 34 degrees that of the surface from 80 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Research Gulf Stream
The Blackheaded Persian is a breed of sheep that originated in the arid regions of east Africa in what is now Somali. It is one of the fat-rumped breeds and both sexes are polled. The breed is now found in South Africa where they are sometimes known by the name Swartkoppersie. It also found its way to the tropics of the Caribbean region via South Africa many years ago. The Caribbeanpopulation has adapted well to the humidtropics. Research Blackhead Persian
Bread-fruit (Artocarpus incisa) is a tree of the family Artocarpaceae, native to the East Indies and islands of the Pacific, but also grown in the Caribbean. The tree grows to a height of about 30 metres. The leaves are leathery, about one foot long and three or four inches wide. The fruit of the tree is a large globular fruit of a pale-green colour, about the size of a child's head, marked on the surface with irregular six-sided depressions, and containing a white and somewhat fibrous pulp, which when ripe becomes juicy and yellow and when roasted tastes somewhat like bread, hence the name. The sap of the tree is similar in appearance to cows milk, and is considered nutritious, hence the alternative name of cow-tree. The inner bark of the tree is made into a kind of cloth. The wood is used for the building of boats and for furniture. Research Bread-fruit
The Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is a small evergreen tree found in the Caribbean. It's fruit is called the cashew-nut, and is small, kidney-shaped, ash-grey and contains an acrid juice. Its noxious property is destroyed by roasting after which it is deemed a great delicacy. Research Cashew
Cocoa (Cacao) is a small tree (Theobroma cacao) of the family Sterculiaceae, natural order Byttneriaceae native to tropical America. The tree is five to six metres high and much cultivated in the tropics of both hemispheres, especially in the West Indian Islands, Central and South America and Africa. The leaves are about 10 cm in length, smooth but not glossy, and of a dull-green colour; the flowers are saffron-coloured, and very beautiful.
The fruit consists of pointed, oval, ribbed pods 15 to 25 cm long. The cultivated trees bear fruit all the year round, but the gathering is chiefly in June and December. The pods are removed by knives attached to the ends of poles. The pods are at first green, but as they ripen they change to a fine bluish-red, or almost purple colour, and in some varieties to a yellow or lemon colour. Each pod encloses 50 or more seeds in a white, sweetish pulp; and the seeds or 'beans' have each a parchment-like covering enclosing a whitish pulp. These are very nutritive, containing 50 per cent of fat, are of an agreeable flavour, and used, both in their fresh state and when dried, as an article of diet. Cocoa and chocolate are made from them, the former being a. powder obtained by grinding
the seeds, and often mixed with other substances when prepared for sale, the latter being this powder mixed with sugar and various flavouring matters and formed into solid cakes. The seeds when roasted and divested of their husks and crushed are known as cocoa nibs. The seeds yield also an oil called butter of cacao, used in pomatum and for making candles, soap, etc.
The best quality cocoa comes from Venezuela, Ecuador, the Caribbean (Jamaica, Trinidad and Greanada) and Madagascar. This accounts for about two percent of the cocoa produced, the remaining 98 per cent is low grade cocoa lacking aroma and quality, and which is used in 99.99 per cent of commercial chocolate. Research Cocoa
The common iguana (Iguana iguana) grows to about two metres long, is green in colour and has dark bands forming rings on its tail. Primarily a herbivore, the Iguana will eat invertebrates, small birds and mammals in addition to its main diet of leaves, buds flowers and fruit.
The head is large, the mouth wide. Along the whole length of the back to the tip of the tail there is a crest of elevated, compressed, pointed acales; the lower part of the head and neck is furnished with a dew-lap or throat-pouch. The toes are furnished with sharp claws, which enable the Iguana to climb trees with ease, while a rapid serpentine movement of its tail propels it swiftly through the water.
Iguanas communicate using non-verbal movements and postures - body language to convey crude concepts such as agression, courtship and submission, and also with an intricate system of head bobbing movements which appears to be much more than a crude display of aggression, submission or courtship, but a sophisticated system of communication.
The flesh of the iguana is considered a delicacy, being tender and delicately-flavoured, resembling that of a chicken. The eggs, of which the female lays from four to six dozen, are also eaten, having an excellent flavour. They are about the size of those of a pigeon, are laid in the sand, and hatched by the heat of the sun. Research Iguana
The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a dove of the family Columbidae, native to North America and the Caribbean. It has short legs, a thin bill and a long tail. It lives in woodland, semi-desert and the outskirts of towns where it nests in trees, buildings or on the ground and feeds on seeds and invertebrates. Research Mourning Dove
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Amedei
