Lake Atitlan Chocolate Factory Tours is one of the sweetest experiences that Lake Atitlan has to offer, discovering the ancient secrets of chocolate at Licor Marrón Chocolate.
Chocolate has a rich history in Guatemala, with the Mayans worshiping the cacao tree calling chocolate the “food of the gods.”
Made from the seeds of the cacao tree, chocolate has been used as currency, cherished in drinks for health and vitality, and in pastries and desserts.
Lake Atitlan Chocolate Factory Tours and Workshop are for the whole family. Learn about the history, culture, and traditions of chocolate.
Spend an unforgettable morning indulging yourself in this 3-hour hands-on workshop of chocolate, and more chocolate followed by an unforgettable afternoon exploring the Artisan village of San Juan La Laguana.
Ana Navichoc and her nephew Edsha share their passion for the art of chocolate and guide us through the process of making our own delicious Maya chocolate from bean-to-bar using heirloom stone tools.
The History of Cocoa bean
The cacao tree is native to the amazonic valleys. It was domesticated by the Olmecs and Mocayas (Mexico and Central America). More than 4,000 years ago, it was consumed by pre-Columbian cultures along the Yucatán, including the Mayans, and as far back as Olmeca civilization in spiritual ceremonies.
It also grows in the foothills of the Andes in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America, in Colombia and Venezuela. Wild cacao still grows there. Its range may have been larger in the past; evidence of its wild range may be obscured by cultivation of the tree in these areas since long before the Spanish arrived.
New chemical analysis of residue extracted from pottery excavated at an archaeological site at Puerto Escondido, in Honduras, indicates that cocoa products were first consumed there sometime between 1500 and 1400 BC.
The History of chocolate
Chocolate is a typically sweet, usually brown food preparation of Theobroma cacao seeds, roasted and ground. It is made in the form of a liquid, paste, or in a block, or used as a flavoring ingredient in other foods. Cacao has been cultivated by many cultures for at least three millennia in Mesoamerica.
The majority of Mesoamerican people made chocolate beverages, including the Maya and Aztecs.
The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste and must be fermented to develop the flavor.
After fermentation, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted. The shell is removed to produce cacao nibs, which are then ground to cocoa mass, unadulterated chocolate in rough form. Once the cocoa mass is liquefied by heating, it is called chocolate liquor.
The liquor also may be cooled and processed into its two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Baking chocolate, also called bitter chocolate, contains cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions, without any added sugars.
Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, a combination of cocoa solids, cocoa butter or added vegetable oils, and sugar.
Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. White chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk, but no cocoa solids.
Hands-on Workshops & Tours
Discover your inner artisan at one of our Hands-on Workshops & Classes.
Our Hands-on Workshops & Classes introduce you to the exciting world of Maya Chocolate Making, the art, culture, symbolism, tradition and history, through intensive and fun on-site workshops and classes led by local Tz’utujil Mayan artisans.
Our workshops and classes are perfect for the whole family.
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Ethical Fashion Guatemala
Ethical Fashion Guatemala
