📷 Closely related photo — Photo: Vegan Feast Catering / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
The cocoa is hand-rolled into dried balls or "sticks" using estate-grown pulp, a method dating back to when Trinidad was one of the world's top cocoa exporters.
Balls of dried, roasted cocoa are grated or dissolved into simmering milk with cinnamon, nutmeg, and bay leaf, sweetened and served hot in cups from stands near old cocoa estates around Rio Claro.
Why it's made this way: The Rio Claro area sits within Trinidad's historic cocoa belt, and cocoa tea made from estate-grown beans remains a defining rural drink of the district.