科特迪瓦欲增加巧克力产量

AS IT IS 2016-08-07 Ivory¹ Coast Hopes to Increase its Chocolate Production 科特迪瓦欲增加巧克力产量

Ivory Coast is the world's top producer of cocoa. Cocoa beans are used to make chocolate.

But, little chocolate is produced in the West African nation. Most of the cocoa produced in the country is sent to chocolate makers³ in Europe and elsewhere.

This is a common issue facing many places in Africa. Countries produce and export large amounts of raw materials, but manufacture few finished goods.

Several businesses in Ivory Coast are working to change that.

One of those businesses is led by chocolate maker² Suzanne Kabbani. Her shop is called “La Maison du Chocolat Ivoirien” or “House of Ivorian Chocolate.” It is in Abidjan, the country’s economic capital.

She recently made special chocolates ahead of the country’s independence day, celebrated⁴ on August 7.

Ten years ago, Kabbani wanted to prove that it was possible to make high-quality chocolate in Ivory Coast using local supplies. But, she says it was difficult to prove to Ivorians that it could be done.

“I started creating various flavors adapted to local tastes, to encourage the population to eat their own product," she said.

Kabbani uses ginger⁵, cashew nuts and coconut⁶ grown in Ivory Coast. She works with growers to improve the quality of their crops, especially the cocoa beans.

Her customers are mostly middle-class Ivorians and people from other countries. She plans to open another store in Abidjan soon. And she plans to make chocolates that are less costly⁷, so more people can afford to buy them.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara has said he wants the country to process about half of its cocoa production by the year 2020. It now processes about 30 percent.

Large signs were recently placed around Abidjan to encourage people to buy and eat Ivorian chocolate.

Axel Emmanuel is also a chocolate-maker. He is a former banker. He says learning to make chocolate is not yet popular among Ivorians. He says that is because people believe chocolate is difficult and costly to make.

He says people ask, “Why make something that others are not interested in? Who will buy it?” He says Ivorians prefer to make cakes because they know they will be able to sell them.

But his chocolates are very popular. He recently began selling a less costly chocolate bar on the street. He says the quality of the chocolate is as high as his other, more costly products.

A street seller is trying to get people to buy chocolates. “Good evening, Madam,” he says . “Chocolate made in Ivory Coast, 200 francs.”

That is about 30 US cents for the 50-gram bars. Many people buy them.

At a small restaurant nearby, three men sit at a table with a large amount of chocolate they have just bought for their children.

“The price is very competitive⁸. For that chocolate bar -- 200 francs -- it’s very cheap.”

At another table, two young people try a taste of the chocolate.

“We want to see what chocolate made in Ivory Coast tastes like. Yes, it’s good!”

Another says, "We can feel the natural taste of cocoa. That’s good! I really like that!”

Emmanuel says he will try to raise enough money on the Internet through crowdfunding to attend the famous Salon⁹ du Chocolat in France. The huge chocolate conference takes place at the end of October.

His goal is to prove that chocolate made in Ivory Coast is as good as chocolate made anywhere else.

Words in This Story

raw materials - n. the basic material that can be used to make or create something

goods - n. things for sale

adapt - v. to change (something) so that it functions better or is better suited for a purpose

encourage - v. to make (someone) more likely to do something

middle class - n. the social class that is between the upper class and the lower class and that includes mainly business and professional people, government officials, and skilled workers

process - v. to change (something) from one form into another by preparing, handling, or treating it in a special way

bar - n. a solid piece of something that is shaped like a rectangle¹⁰

competitive - adj. as good as or better than others of the same kind : able to compete successfully with others

1 ivory   

n.象牙，乳白色；adj.象牙制的，乳白色的

参考例句：

• My grandmother has some jewelry made of ivory.我祖母有一些象牙首饰。
• It is carved from ivory.它是用象牙雕成的。

2 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

3 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

5 ginger   

n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气

参考例句：

• There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。
• Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。

6 coconut   

n.椰子

参考例句：

• The husk of this coconut is particularly strong.椰子的外壳很明显非常坚固。
• The falling coconut gave him a terrific bang on the head.那只掉下的椰子砰地击中他的脑袋。

7 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

8 competitive   

adj.竞争的，比赛的，好竞争的，有竞争力的

参考例句：

• Some kinds of business are competitive.有些商业是要竞争的。
• These businessmen are both competitive and honourable.这些商人既有竞争性又很诚实。

9 salon   

n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室

参考例句：

• Do you go to the hairdresser or beauty salon more than twice a week?你每周去美容院或美容沙龙多过两次吗？
• You can hear a lot of dirt at a salon.你在沙龙上会听到很多流言蜚语。

10 rectangle   

n.长方形，矩形

参考例句：

• Suppose the width of a rectangle is x metres.设长方形的宽是x米。
• He handed me a little rectangle of white paper.他递给我一张小小的长方形白纸片。