stories. go to c inn.com/champions. be a rule breaker when it is necessary. maybe you can be inspired to become a champion for change as well. thank you for watching. i'm dr. sanjay gupta. good night. >> anthony: peru is a country that's historically driven men mad, mad for gold, for coca, for its magical, ancient history. but now, there's something else drawing outsiders to its hidden mountain valleys. we love this stuff. we obsess about it, gorge on it and fetishize it. i'm talking about chocolate. once a common treat, it's now becoming as nuanced as fine wine, making the pursuit of the raw, good stuff all the more difficult. i'm joining that hunt in

remotest peru, but not before i've re-immersed myself in the booming lima food scene. ♪ i took a walk through this beautiful world ♪ ♪ felt the cool rain on my shoulder ♪ ♪ found something good in this beautiful world ♪ ♪ i felt the rain getting colder ♪ ♪ sha, la, la, la, la, ♪ sha, la, la, la, la, la, ♪ sha, la, la, la, la,, ♪ sha, la, la, la, la, la ♪

>> anthony: i'm in peru with this guy, eric ripert. >> eric: the guy was looking at us. he went into the tree. >> anthony: that's funny. chef of the world-famous restaurant le bernardin in new york, to look at where chocolate comes from, particularly our chocolate, the very expensive, limited-run, designer chocolate bar business that eric got me into last year. so that's why we're in peru. but before we get all indiana jones, we're spending some time in lima, as we like the capital city just fine. and we have, both of us, from previous trips, friends here. lima is the cultural hub and culinary capital of a country that has exploded in the last decade with scores of world-class chefs, cooks, and restaurants. it has long been considered to be one of the best food scenes in all of south america. let's do it. >> eric: how far away is the house?

>> coque: that's it. so, it's -- >> eric: over there? >> coque: yeah. five minutes. >> anthony: one of our friends here is chef restaurateur, coque ossio. he's one of the best, most successful chefs in the country. his family are something of a beloved culinary dynasty in peru. and pucusana, a small fishing village about an hour south of lima, is where they spend their weekends. coque's mom, marissa guiulfo, is like peru's julia child -- >> marissa: welcome. >> anthony: -- james beard rolled into one. thank you for having us. a caterer, cookbook author, beloved icon of peruvian gastronomy. >> coque: this is the yucca. >> anthony: oh yeah, i'm going in. to say one is fortunate to enjoy her hospitality would be an understatement. >> marissa: pisco sour? >> anthony: oh yes. yeah. definitely. >> eric: i'd love one. >> anthony: warm, generous, welcoming beyond belief. >> marissa: it's too bad that you have to leave so soon. >> anthony: yeah.

>> coque: normally we -- we have lunch late, uh, like 5:00, or -- >> anthony: do you nap before lunch or after? >> coque: both. >> anthony: both. [ laughter ] sounds like paradise. wow, look at this. every weekend, marissa opens the house to an ever-changing mob of friends, visitors, drop-ins, and family. >> coque: this is fantastic. >> anthony: they do not skimp on the food. delicious, delicious things pour out of the kitchen. >> eric: wow. >> anthony: a torrent, a deluge of traditional peruvian favorites. >> marissa: this is a causa with crabmeat, the yellow potato, and avocado, and we love avocado. >> anthony: causa de congrejo is like a tureen of crabmeat, eggs, avocado, and mashed yellow potatoes. >> eric: okay. >> marissa: this is a tiradito, ceviche from the coast. >> anthony: beautiful. tiradito de pejerrey, basically raw king fish filets dressed with aji amarillo and lime juice. perfect. >> marissa: and that's scallop ceviche. >> coque: a ceviche.

>> eric: ceviche for sure. >> anthony: ceviche de conchas, fresh scallops with lemon juice, garlic and aji limon. [ coque speaking spanish ] >> anthony: drum fish braised in chichi de jora, a corn-based beer. >> eric: they look fantastic, huh? >> marissa: this is a rocoto. >> eric: spicy or not? >> marissa: it is very spicy. >> eric: very spicy, okay. >> anthony: oh, that sounds good. oh, and stuffed rocoto peppers filled with ground beef and raisins served with parilla cheese. >> eric: yeah. >> anthony: wow. >> eric: are we lucky, or what? >> anthony: we are lucky. and that's just the beginning. there's so much more food, there's no way we could show it all, much less describe it. it's incredible, overwhelming, invariably fresh and delicious and thrillingly different than what i'm used to. >> eric: yeah, it's fantastic. >> anthony: i could frankly get out of the chocolate business right now, put up a pup tent on marissa's porch, and pretty much dig in for the duration. this is living. >> eric: that's nice. >> anthony: yeah. >> eric: those little fish are amazing. they're so fresh. >> anthony: i want to be her

next-door neighbor. >> eric: it's incredible. >> anthony: wow. >> eric: it's so good. >> anthony: so, has peruvian cuisine always been this diverse and this delicious and we're just discovering it, or has it changed over the last 15 years? >> coque: it's change -- it's changing anyway, but you know, what you're eating now, it's the traditional food. >> anthony: there's so many products in peru that are unfamiliar to people in the states. when you eat this food, it's not like, well, this is something like -- no, this, uh, it's not really -- it's not kind of like anything. it's really all its own. >> marissa: there is a lot of ingredients, good ingredients, all year 'round. >> eric: the rocoto is very good. >> anthony: what do you do when you're homesick for peruvian food, uh, in your traveling? there's really no -- >> coque: we take some -- always some chilies with us in the, you know, the luggage. we are the perfect, uh, smugglers. >> eric: i believe you. i believe you do it, man. [ laughter ] >> anthony: i hate to say goodbye to this, but it is what it is. things to do, places to go, wild and apparently extremely rare cacao trees to visit. incredible meal. so happy.

>> marissa: thank you. >> anthony: so happy. [ women singing in spanish ] >> anthony: all i could say is, if people are anywhere near this nice on the rest of this trip, it's going to be okay. lima, city of kings, home to a third of peru's people. locals escape by hanging out at the beach. and why not when you can and maybe get a tattoo while you're at it. is that sanitary? ♪ you've been here before. >> eric: oh yeah, man.

>> anthony: i take eric's suggestion, and we head over to see chef javier wong, uniquely nonconformist seafood specialist, famous for his incredible and uncompromising ceviches and his flaming wok. if peru has a national dish, it's probably ceviche. the freshest fish only needs the right cut, a little citrus, and no heat. what's the most common thing that people do wrong? >> eric: the quality of the ingredients. you don't do a ceviche with something that is not ultra fresh. >> anthony: right. >> eric: the cut is very important, the thickness. >> anthony: right. >> eric: and when you do the ceviche, you don't do it too much ahead of time. >> anthony: the whole place is served whatever menu he's doing that day, same for everybody. and today, the flounder he got from the market is particularly nice, so that's what we're getting. generally thicker pieces to

stand up to the spices and acids. first up, an octopus and flounder ceviche. >> eric: i don't know what to tell you, man. it's damn good. >> anthony: mm. oh, that is good. >> eric: is this one very spicy, or no? >> anthony: you ever been spanked in your life and enjoyed it? yeah, me neither. i don't like pain. >> eric: except -- >> anthony: except -- >> eric: if you're spanked with a pepper. >> anthony: brutalized with a pepper, i like. >> eric: oh, that's -- that's really hot. >> anthony: tiradito of flounder, dressed with pecans, lime, aji limon, and sesame oil, which, clearly, eric likes. >> eric: ah, this is totally going to le bernardin. >> anthony: oh, really? >> eric: yeah. >> anthony: yeah, i see you're not like, foraging in the catskills for your inspiration. >> eric: um -- >> anthony: you basically just rip your ideas off of small businessmen? >> eric: javier. es stupdendo. >> javier: it's okay, tres bien? >> eric: si. it's -- >> anthony: oh, superb. [ javier speaking spanish ] >> eric: you want, uh, another little thing? >> anthony: sure. >> eric: si.

[ javier speaking spanish ] >> anthony: chinese and japanese immigrants came to peru in great numbers in the 19th and 20th centuries as contract laborers and farmers. and their influence is felt here, particularly in the food, to a greater degree than anywhere else on the continent. it's that influence, and the ingredients of amazonia and the andes, that really distinguishes the food here as something special. whoa, what is this, a tofu? >> eric: uh, no, queso fresco, no? >> anthony: this is a very kooky combination. i mean, is that pineapple? where'd that come from that's not traditional. >> eric: i mean, he looks asian to me. >> anthony: right. >> eric: so i believe he is probably, uh -- >> anthony: dude, his name is wong. [ eric laughs ] >> anthony: i mean, unless he's a retired porn star -- this shouldn't be good, but it is. >> eric: phew. >> anthony: working up a sweat on that one. yeah, i might have a couple more beers after this, a pisco sour, and then have a nice nap, midday nap.

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>> anthony: one more day in lima. the chance to delve a bit further into the cuisine before things get a little more old school. >> pedro: these are our special cocktails that we prepare here. it has a kind of lime that we find in the jungle. it has culantro. >> anthony: culantro? >> eric: culantro is like cilantro, uh, but it's long leaves and it's -- >> anthony: uh-huh. >> eric: -- much more powerful in flavor. >> anthony: it would be wrong to not point out that peru, along with brazil, is at the forefront of a movement celebrating the incredible and unique larder of ingredients from the andes and the amazon. flavors you find no place else on earth. there seems to be a lot of interest in the last decade in the amazon because it's an amazing -- >> pedro: and you're right. >> anthony: -- spectrum of entirely new to most of us, uh, flavors and ingredients. pedro schiaffino is at the cutting edge of exactly that territory. his restaurant, amaz, explores the rivers, the ocean, the landscape of peru.

highlighting a range of products that are stunning in their diversity, and to us, anyway, their newness. wow. >> pedro: this one is -- you've got grapefruit, tuna, and the cashew sauce. that is with, uh, plantain vinegar. >> anthony: mm. >> pedro: that's a cashew fruit. and so, the nut is a fruit, and in brazil and here, we use the -- as a fruit. >> anthony: mm. >> pedro: we make this, uh, scallops with, uh, wild almond. >> eric: the almond is very, very soft, like the flavor of it. it compliments really well. >> pedro: and this one is freshwater shrimp dashi made of taro root and a freshwater shrimp. >> anthony: mm. a whole different flavor spectrum, right? all new. it's almost like you need a new section of your tongue. >> eric: it must be so exciting because they are basically an amazing garden with the amazon. >> anthony: ooh, that looks good. >> pedro: this is a soup made of ham with peanuts and corn, and, uh, it's called inchicapi. >> anthony: mm. mm. i'm liking the food. i am enjoying these cocktails,

too. cashew, uh, caipirinhas. >> eric: oh, we're going to be wasted. >> anthony: yeah, we'll be fine. oh, whoa. >> pedro: so, these are also tradition. this is called pataraschca. they season the fish, the put it on a leaf, and they cook it. the fish is catfish. in the amazon, we have, like, 200 types of catfish. >> anthony: takes in flavor from the leaf, too. >> pedro: and here we have, uh, paiche. it's the second biggest freshwater fish in the world. underneath, you have a puree of aguaje that is a palm fruit, and the sauce is a reduction of fermented wild mandioca yucca. >> eric: fermented. >> pedro: yeah, this is, how you say, toxic or, uh -- >> anthony: or poisonous, yeah. >> pedro: poisonous. >> anthony: yeah. >> pedro: yeah, so they let it ferment and it becomes -- uh, you can eat it. >> anthony: these fish are unbelievable when you see them. uh, they get up to, like, 600 pounds. and they're swimming in water no deeper than a rice paddy. >> eric: really? >> anthony: giant. they're like dinosaur fish. everyone has been saying for years that peru was going to be the next big thing as far as -- >> eric: yes. >> anthony: -- restaurants and --

>> eric: and it is. this really proved it. >> pedro: and we have a chili pepper made with brazil nuts, and these are ants. >> eric: wow, they're huge. >> pedro: they are huge ants. >> eric: okay. you think i should try it? >> anthony: yeah, yeah, totally. you're not loving that, are you? >> eric: no. >> anthony: imagine you took a lot of acid and then you ate that whole bowl of ants, and then you go home and you experience violent diarrhea. and, like, you're tripping and it's like, 4:00 in the morning, and you turn around and you look at the toilet and like, all these ant heads floating around in there. it'd be cool. >> eric: yeah, it would be super cool, tony. i can't wait. [ anthony laughs ] >> anthony: so now that we've confirmed what we already knew, that peru's food is unequivocally awesome, it seems proper that we take a trip back in time to meet the forebears of this country's rich cultural legacy.

the larco herrera museum in lima has a massive collection of pre-columbian artifacts. and, looking at them, you get an idea of what these ancient peoples were like, how they lived. wow. i mean, this is like the real stuff. >> eric: i think so. >> anthony: wow. >> eric: right, i mean, it's the real deal, yeah. >> anthony: gold necklaces. >> eric: that's gold, yes. >> anthony: you see why the spanish just freaked out when they came here, turned into like, maniacal greed heads. but history does not have to be boring. it can be sexy. i don't know whether you knew this, but i am an aficionado of early erotica of pre-columbian and post-columbian eras, you know, like pottery of people doing it? >> eric: yeah, i should have known that. >> anthony: turns out things could get pretty interesting back in the day. oh yeah, those guys could get crazy, get wild, and apparently, very kinky.

the erotic gallery. oh. there you go. that's a conversation starter. i take eric to the pre-columbian boning section. actually, the erotic pottery section. slipping her the tongue. >> eric: amazing. >> anthony: which sounds about as much fun as an all-nude renaissance fair, but is actually pretty cool. [ man in museum laughs ] >> anthony: nothing new under the sun that these pre-columbian horn dogs didn't think of first. ooh, that's disturbing. a man and a chicken, hm. >> eric: i'm not sure i understand this one, tony. >> anthony: i think we frown on that these days. [ eric laughs ] >> anthony: oh, wow, they -- they're doing it under a blanket. this must be after the spanish arrived to teach them shame. [ eric laughs ] >> anthony: ooh, skeletons with boners. >> eric: they are zombies.

>> anthony: oh, getting a zombie old-fashioned. >> eric yes, tony. i really appreciate your knowledge. >> anthony: i wonder whether this was decorative or whether this was early porn. >> eric: they probably had it in a closet somewhere or something. >> anthony: no, no, i'll -- i'm betting this was right out on the table. come on in, have a cup of tea, sit down. [ eric laughs ] >> anthony: ooh, there's some animal on animal action. that's pretty awesome. >> eric: uh, yeah, no, no, this is interesting. um. yeah. i'm happy we made it, uh, here, tony. that was, uh, an enlightened moment. ♪ >> anthony: something about steamy, triple-x, pre-columbian

erotica always makes me hungry. luckily, at night, lima comes alive with the smell and the familiar enticing sound of sizzling meat. it's time for delicious, screamingly hot, garlicky, spicy, flavor-jacked street meats. and as anybody who knows me is well aware, i love me some street meat. >> coque: the -- the street food in peru is starting to disappear, really disappear, yeah. >> anthony: really? why? >> coque: because, you know, the neighbors, they -- >> anthony: oh, the neighbors complain? >> coque: complain. >> anthony: our friend coque brought us to this place. [ coque speaking spanish ] >> anthony: to dona pochita, a street stall named for the lady who runs the joint. [ coque speaking spanish ] [ anthony laughs ] >> anthony: they specialize in one thing. >> coque: beef heart, anticuchos. >> anthony: anticuchos is quechan for skewered meat. this stuff, they say, goes back all the way to the incas and was as immediately popular with the spanish conquistadors as it is today. ooh, that looks good. which is to say, i must have

some. damn. traditionally, a mix of beef hearts and other animal parts. >> coque: chicken hearts. >> anthony: yes. >> coque: you have a gizzards and there's tripe. >> anthony: right. marinated in garlic, cumin, and onion, maybe a little vinegar. oh yeah. grill that up and pile it high. these are not small portions. these people are giving you mountains of food. okay, here, we're rolling up. >> coque: the sauce, the sauce. let's all do a sauce, yeah. >> anthony: it does not get any better. voila. let's do it. man, that's awesome. >> coque: yeah, yeah. >> anthony: the beef heart? >> coque: yeah. >> anthony: yeah. mm. that is some magical -- right there. >> coque: salud. >> eric: salud. >> anthony: salud. >> eric: it's very garlicky, the marinade. it's nice. this is what, the tripe? >> dona: corazon de pollo. >> eric: corazon de pollo, ah. chicken heart. >> anthony: mm, yeah, that is seriously tasty. >> eric: delicioso, huh? buonissimo. >> anthony: the beef heart and the chicken heart is -- the texture is so nice. >> eric: and it's hot. the sauce is really hot. >> coque: oh yeah. come on, wasabi, a little bit.

>> anthony: whew. all right. i'm maxed out. really delicious. delicioso, excellent. by stayin. and to keep up this pace, i drink boost optimum. boost optimum with 5 in 1 advanced nutrition helps support muscle, energy, bone, normal immune function, and vision. boost optimum. be up for life. ♪ crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon. ♪ applebee's to go. order online and get 20% off $20. now that's eatin' good in the neighborhood.

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where does it come from? columbus was the first european to encounter cacao beans on a mayan trading canoe off the coast of honduras. he's said to have grabbed both crew and cargo, and brought them back to spain. a few decades later, a spanish conquistador, hernando cortes, came across aztecs using the sacred beans in a drink. it was considered the drink of the gods. like most expensive, delicious things from abroad, the largely inbred and frequently syphilitic european royalty did their best to keep what was fast becoming a craze for hot chocolate to themselves. but it soon found its way to america. and, in 1765, the first chocolate factory opened in new england. chiclayo's main market is a massive, one-stop shop for all things chocolate, as well as just about everything else under the sun.

ooh, what, man, you've got your, uh, animal skulls. >> eric: whoa. >> anthony: that's tempting. haircut? >> eric: uh, no, i'm good. >> anthony: ooh, wow. >> eric: ah, cacao. >> anthony: those are the raw beans. >> saleswoman: uh-huh. >> eric: and that one is the toasted one. >> anthony: toasted? >> eric: and then she, she -- >> anthony: grinds it? >> eric: and then she puts it in a mold. gracias. >> saleswoman: muy bien, gracias. >> anthony: oh, bitter. >> eric: not sweet at all, huh? >> anthony: no. >> eric: they don't put sugar on. actually, here we are in the area of the market that is, uh, i believe where they have what they call santerias. >> anthony: ah. ripert is -- how shall i put it? well, let's just say he's got more of a spiritual side than me. >> eric: so it's all the ingredients, uh, that you need for the shaman to, um -- to bless the harvest of the cacao. >> anthony: okay. so he's got us shopping for what i guess you'd call shamanic supplies. >> eric: okay. >> anthony: which place are we going to? i like the lady with the sunglasses way better.

>> eric: yeah, i like it too, yeah. >> anthony: yeah. medical medicinal herbs with supposed magical properties, and stuff for this shaman dude to bless us and our cacao crop. [ eric speaking spanish ] >> eric: this one is amazing. it smells really good and it supposedly purify the house. yeah. >> anthony: mm, smells like hippie. >> eric: no, but it's interesting. the shamans are very, very well respected in their inca culture and the region. they cure everything. they do ceremonies. >> anthony: good. >> eric: yeah, i think we're good. >> anthony: our journey continues by road as we leave chiclayo and head east towards the andes. >> eric: so supposedly, if you go two hours north from here, oh you have, like, the indians welcome you -- >> man: right. >> eric: -- with the little, uh, pssh -- >> anthony: oh, the blow darts? >> eric: yeah. >> anthony: but before we get too deep into the mountains, we're stopping off to meet our

shaman. [ eric speaking spanish ] [ francisco speaking spanish ] >> eric: anthony. >> francisco: anthony. >> eric: he's going to teach us how to do the bath for the plants. >> anthony: mm-hmm. >> eric: and for us. >> anthony: okay. >> francisco: okay. [ eric speaking spanish ] [ francisco speaking spanish ] >> eric: it's a meteor stone. >> anthony: wow. [ francisco speaking spanish ] >> eric: he's cleaning. [ francisco speaking spanish ] >> eric: all the negative, uh, vibrations. [ francisco speaking spanish ] >> eric: close your eyes.

he cleaned you and he wish you a lot of success. [ francisco speaking spanish ] >> eric: a little bit more, especially in the back, in the neck, the back, that's it. yeah, yeah. on the chest, a little bit like that, yeah. >> francisco: hmm. >> anthony: we wanted a blessing for our cacao harvest, we got this. my aura is now cleaner than gwyneth paltrow's colon after a three-month juice cleanse. to a successful harvest. >> eric: yeah. [ francisco speaking spanish ] >> anthony: but we're not done. we gotta transport this stuff to our trees and finish the job ourselves. >> eric: i know you don't believe it, but the energy has changed here. i'm serious. i'm not joking. i'm not joking. >> anthony: listen, i'm not disbelieving. i have an open mind.

♪ eric and i are heading to the maranon canyon, eight hours by car from chiclayo, well into the andean highlands. ♪ on the way, we stop for lunch and to meet up with this guy. >> eric: uh, you want a sopa de gallina? >> anthony: gallina, si. >> eric: sopa de -- >> chris: si. >> eric: tres sopas de gallina, por favor. >> anthony: chris curtin, master chocolatier, and our business partner in this knuckleheaded adventure. >> anthony: one of life's great joys, eating at a peruvian market. >> eric: i love markets for breakfast. it's nice. >> anthony: so, sopa de gallina, basically a hen soup. >> eric: si, gracias, si. >> anthony: mm. that's good. where in the world does chocolate come from? >> chris: well, 45%, of course, comes from the ivory coast in africa, but we don't deal in those beans just because of political situations. >> anthony: there's this stuff,

spe -- the special chocolate. >> eric: yeah. >> anthony: and which is pretty much what we're here to look at. >> eric: yes, absolutely. >> anthony: where, where, where it comes from, what's involved. eric ate some of chris's chocolate, heard about these wild cacao trees he was sourcing from in peru, and promptly got me involved in this designer chocolate bar business. i'm rather famously a guy that i don't really -- i never really gave a -- about desserts. you, on the other hand, you, you are -- you eat chocolate every day. >> eric: yeah, i love chocolate. yeah, every day. >> anthony: and so, here we are, three men and a chocolate bar. good thing for the world or exploitative opportunism? yet to be determined. what do i, after all, know about chocolate? next to freaking nothing. >> eric: it's good like that, right? >> anthony: yeah, like oliver twist there, uh, yeah, we used to eat it like that in the orphanage. [ laughter ] simple goodness

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>> anthony: the maranon canyon. we're headed to meet some of the farmers who supply the beans that make our chocolate, and to get me an education in all things cacao. the roads up into these mountains can be tricky, so we gotta take care of the local vigilante dudes who run a road block here outside of town. [ man speaking spanish ]

>> anthony: it looks like a shakedown, but they're a welcome sight. this hill, where cars have to slow down, was where all sorts of highwaymen and miscreants used to waylay travelers like us. so, these guys stepped in to take care of business. wow, that was a big shotgun. that'll -- that'll shoot through an engine block. actually, i don't really know, but i'm assuming. [ thunder claps ] at this time of year, there's also the rain and mud, which can mean flooded streets and streams that cut right across the roads. and there's this, the river. in the best of circumstances, a fairly adventurous way to get your vehicles across, a long line across a fast-moving current, the ferry propelled only by the flow of water. but today, the river is too high and the current too fast.

the river running a little high. it's these smaller boats or nothing. we're dealing with complex transportation issues. the best thing to do is, uh, hole up with a cold beer and let somebody else figure it out. >> eric: yeah, so let's go in the boat. >> anthony: to my crew, i say good luck. we're headed for what looks like a bar on the other side. i would like to do to punta cerveza, por favor. [ eric laughs ] >> anthony: and let me tell ya, it's quite a ride. >> eric: i'll go the last. >> chris: yeah. >> eric: hey, water inside the boat, look, look, look. the boat is sinking. oh. oh. >> anthony: you gotta go down and then up just right.

we make it to the other side reasonably dry. beer? the maranon canyon is home to a wide range of species, including, and most interesting to us, a strain of cacao previously thought to be almost extinct. a few years ago, the valley's cacao trees were genetically tested at a usda lab and proven to have identical dna to one of the rarest forms of cacao in the world, this stuff, the real deal, pure nacionale. don fortunato is our cacao connection, a farmer whose family has been working these mountains for over 40 years. >> chris: so they're just absolutely beautiful when they start out. absolutely beautiful. >> anthony: really kooky looking pods as they just come right off the trunk of the tree. >> chris: this -- >> anthony: they sorta look like somebody, you know, glued them to the side of a tree, you know. this is a once a year crop?

>> chris: it goes continuously, but this is the peak season. >> eric: see the way it comes out? try that. like take one in your mouth. bite it, and you see those -- the nibs inside? those are the cocoa nibs. >> anthony: so, where does chocolate come from? >> eric: um -- >> anthony: the bean. okay. here's where chocolate comes from. the trees produce pods. you split open the pods and take out the beans. the buyer sun dries the beans, then roasts them. after roasting, the beans are extracted from their shells and ground up, producing chocolate liquor. mix this concentrate with milk, sugar, cocoa butter, and you get what we call commercial chocolate. now, our chocolate bar sells for a nosebleed price that's high by even premium chocolate standards. so, where does the money go? and most importantly to me and eric, are we doing a good thing? here's how it breaks down.

the raw cacao costs one chunk. labor, the inner sleeve, this much. design, box, packaging, this much. various sundry equipment and miscellaneous, another small chunk. chris, me, and eric each get a slice out of every bar. that leaves this much, which the retailer takes. chef bleeding-heart hippie here has already convinced me to give whatever meager profits we make off our first bar to a local charity. so, what's unusual about these pods, these beans? >> chris: the extremely high quality of flavor. >> anthony: thought not around for a while. >> chris: this was what almost all chocolate was made of, over 120 years ago. >> anthony: right. >> chris: and now, it's, uh, making a giant comeback. i mean, as a chocolatier, this is a once in a lifetime find. >> anthony: now, about 40% of the beans from these trees have got white cacao beans mixed in. the rest are purplish in color. but we've heard of an ultra rare

group of trees elsewhere, further up the mountains, that produce pods with 100% all pure white beans. and that's something me and eric are very interested in down the road. but for now, don fortunato's daughter, johanna, has prepared us a traditional peruvian mountain meal. >> chris: wow. >> anthony: oh, whoa. >> johanna: juanes. >> eric: juanes? >> johanna: juanes. >> anthony: juanes are rice dumplings with boiled egg, chicken, and achote inside. wow. >> eric: this is amazing. >> anthony: mm. >> eric: buonissimo. [ johanna speaking spanish ] >> anthony: mm. mm-hmm. >> anthony: and not surprisingly, some cuy, or guinea pig, of which there seems to be many around for the taking, this preparation served with a cacao sauce. oh, that's good. all of this food is delicious. so, chocolate, particularly our chocolate, it's a luxury food item, right? >> eric: yes. >> anthony: this is an area that's abundant with coffee, chocolate, fruit.

how's life for the locals? [ don speaking spanish ] >> eric: he says that, 20 years ago, 25 years ago, it was easier for him. he was planting, uh, soybeans. >> anthony: right. >> eric: and coffee. and he was making much more money. and then he didn't plant soybeans any longer. and then the coffee production went down. so therefore, he had a financial, uh, struggle for a while. and now, with the cacao trees that they are planting, he has no more stress and he's very happy himself. we test all of our paints and stains for months. or even years. because you deserve paint that's done right. that's proudly particular. benjamin moore. the standard for paint professionals. only at local paint and hardware stores.

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$34.90 more per month. call or go on line today. >> anthony: i'm in the maranon canyon of peru with my friend and partner in chocolate bars, chef eric ripert. eric and i are intrigued by these ultra rare, all white beans we heard about from don fortunato, so we set up a meeting with another farmer, don elloberto, elsewhere in the valley. now, we thought it would be a nice gesture, given all the high-test culinary talent between us, to make him and his family dinner in return for his hospitality. what are you thinking? >> eric: look what they have. squabs. >> anthony: what, the squabs? butterfly, marinate, grill? >> eric: we could do that. >> anthony: and look -- but they have such nice sausage here. >> eric: yeah, sausage.

>> anthony: which would be nice to throw in with stew. uh, chorizo, chicken, onion, maybe some peppers, a little bit of spice. >> eric: okay, i'm thinking chorizo and potatoes. >> anthony: so we're kind of moving into the spanish -- >> eric: uh, yeah. >> anthony: -- uh, what's it called, uh, zarzuela, but, uh, but with chicken. >> eric: ah, zarzuela. and we can even use shrimp from the guy, shrimp and chicken rocks. >> anthony: that sounds like a plan. [ eric speaking spanish ] >> eric: you have 24? >> anthony: yeah. a successful, uh -- >> eric: yeah, so far, but wait until, uh, we arrive there. it's going to be interesting. >> anthony: oh, don't be a downer, man. i'm optimistic. we arrive at the village where the fabled white cacao beans are said to be growing and meet with the village's unofficial mayor and our cacao farmer, don elloberto, who will lead us to the trees. >> eric: okay, we're going to follow him. >> anthony: what was depicted as a short walk up a slight incline turns out to be an epic hump up one hill after another. >> eric: when you're tired, you

tell us, we stop, okay? tell us, we stop, okay? >> anthony: when i slump to the ground and urinate all over myself, that'll be a tip that i probably want to stop. [ breathing heavily ] another reason i hate the swiss -- mountains. >> eric: i love mountains. >> anthony: eric, who grew up in the pyrenees, is up the slopes like a gazelle. me? i feel every year of my misspent life with every step. >> anthony: oh geez. [ don speaking spanish ] [ eric speaking spanish ] >> anthony: oh, are we there yet? >> eric: no, no, no. we're not there. it's a baby. he is rafting because he has only two -- 22 trees. >> anthony: i wish i could hear you over the sound of my exploding capillaries. okay. by the time we get near the fabled trees, i'm toast, gasping for air, ready to puke from the altitude and the exertion. so tell us again, what's unique about these trees? >> chris: it's because they're

all white beans. >> anthony: all white? >> chris: which is a rarity. >> anthony: okay. so these are the only known all-white 100% pure nacionale? >> chris: pure nacionale. >> anthony: okay. and why is that good? >> chris: it's a new variety and gives different, uh, flavor profiles to it. >> anthony: uh, a good flavor profile? >> chris: yes. of course. >> anthony: i am assuming, because i just humped up a huge mother -- hill. excuse me, kids. >> chris: yes. >> anthony: oh. nice catch. machete? >> eric: don't cut your fingers, man. >> anthony: okay. >> eric: yeah, that's it.

>> chris: there we go. >> anthony: porcelana. >> eric: all white. >> anthony: remember the shaman? well, we still have stuff to do with that package he gave us. we do, presumably, want a good crop. better get right with the spirit world. >> anthony: ooh. oh geez. oh. >> eric: do me. >> anthony: a little shaman juice thrown around, bury the purified soil, and there you go, chocolate magnates. well, good luck, dude. to a good harvest. >> eric: done deal. s on select s until the day you leave for your trip. add-on advantage. only when you book with expedia. add-on advantage. come hok., babe. nasty nighttime heartburn? try new alka-seltzer pm gummies. the only fast, powerful heartburn relief plus melatonin so you can fall asleep quickly. ♪ oh, what a relief it is!

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♪ >> anthony: the trip downhill, unsurprisingly is a lot easier on me. time for me and chef ripert to get cooking. back to basics, wood fire, ingredients from the morning market, and this old-school recycling system. here, little fella. >> eric: i'm ready for the chicken, tony. >> anthony: okay, here we go. >> eric: and the red wine. >> anthony: notice how i neatly maneuvered you into the shit job? >> eric: so now, we have to make the mashed potato and we're good. >> anthony: eric's mashed potato secret -- around 50% butter. ah, the glory that is france. i think they call it gout. okay, let's do it. [ eric speaking spanish ]

[ don speaking spanish ] >> eric: gracias. >> chris: you guys can cook. >> anthony: some say. >> eric: sometimes. [ don speaking spanish ] >> eric: he is the only guy who has the white cacao. he ask all the farmers of the village here to do exactly what he has done, so the other farmers are starting to copy him. >> anthony: right. >> eric: and he's happy because it's going to bring wealth in the village, in the valley, in the community. >> anthony: afterwards, don makes a traditional unsweetened hot chocolate preparation -- ground cacao nibs and hot water, no milk, no sweeteners, no nothing, just like the ancient kings liked it. ah, here we go. gracias. ah, the real deal. >> chris: only water. and this is what they -- they really use cacao for. >> anthony: before chocolate hit

europe, this is what the aztec kings would drink. >> chris: right. >> eric: i'm a little bit jealous right now, since i have nothing. >> anthony: you'll get yours eventually. here you go. >> eric: gracias. muchas gracias. salud. >> anthony: that's good. salud. >> eric: salud. >> chris: salud. >> anthony: gentlemen, to an education. >> eric: yes. >> anthony: so, did we do the right thing? is it all right for two new yorkers to make money, however much or however little, off the work of struggling farmers in a faraway land? fortunato, elloberto, chris, everybody down the line, all the way to the families who pick the pods off the trees, seemed pretty happy to be doing what they're doing. but do i want to be in the chocolate business? that's something i'm going to have to figure out. but for now, one last thing needs to be done to fulfill our shamanic obligations. >> eric: guys, you have to get out. the guy is coming with his bike and he doesn't care.

>> anthony: a bridge, a bundle of eucalyptus leaves, a badly working lighter, gotta get right. >> eric: smells like ganja. do you have a lighter? >> anthony: we need to burn this stuff and pass it around our bodies three times. >> eric: got something or not? >> anthony: oh, it's, uh, too moist. oh, you got it, man. okay. >> eric: smoking? it's not smoking. i'm going to get it. hold on. there we go. this is -- that's it. now i got it. >> anthony: let's do it. >> eric: okay. ah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's coming. i got it. we did it. >> anthony: over. >> eric: okay, done.

hey, we have a problem with chocolate, i tell you that. >> anthony: getting into the coffee business.