Choco-lotta Fun: Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth on a Chocolate Road Trip Through Mexico
Embark on a delicious and adventurous journey through the heart of Mexico’s chocolate culture with a Mexican chocolate road trip. As one of the world’s leading cocoa producers, Mexico boasts history of chocolate-making traditions passed down for centuries.
From the bustling streets of Mexico City to the quaint towns of Oaxaca and Tabasco, travelers can indulge in a diverse array of chocolate treats and experience the art and science of chocolate-making firsthand.
Whether you’re a seasoned chocolate connoisseur or have a sweet tooth, a chocolate road trip through Mexico promises to be a feast for the senses.
Here is an itinerary for a Mexico chocolate road trip:
Day 1: Mexico City
- Arrive in Mexico City and settle into your accommodations.
- Visit the Chocolate Museum in Mexico City to learn about the history and culture of chocolate in Mexico.
- Sample some traditional Mexican hot chocolate at a nearby café.
Day 2: Oaxaca
- Drive to the city of Oaxaca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a hub of Mexican culture and cuisine.
- Visit a local chocolate maker and take a chocolate-making class to learn about the traditional techniques used to make Mexican chocolate.
- Explore the local markets and sample different types of Mexican chocolate, including chocolate bars, mole sauces, and hot chocolate.
Day 3: San Cristobal de las Casas
- Drive to San Cristobal de las Casas, a charming colonial town in the state of Chiapas known for its coffee and chocolate.
- Visit the local market and sample different types of chocolate from the region, including the famous Chiapas chocolate.
- Take a Mexican chocolate tasting tour and learn about the different types of chocolate produced in the region, including single-origin and fair trade chocolates.
Day 4: Villahermosa
- Drive to Villahermosa, the capital city of the state of Tabasco and the heart of Mexico’s cacao-growing region.
- Visit a cacao farm and learn about the process of growing and harvesting cacao beans.
- Take a tour of a chocolate factory and see how cacao beans are processed into chocolate products.
- Sample some of the local Mexican chocolates and explore the city’s chocolate shops.
Day 5: Merida
- Drive to the city of Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan and a hub of Mayan culture.
- Visit a local chocolatier and learn about the history and traditions of chocolate in the Mayan culture.
- Take a cooking class and learn how to make traditional Mayan chocolate dishes, such as mole and hot chocolate.
- Visit a local chocolate shop and sample some of the region’s unique chocolate products.
Day 6: Tulum
- Drive to the coastal town of Tulum and relax on the beach.
- Visit a local chocolate shop and sample some of the region’s unique chocolate products, such as chocolate-covered fruits and nuts.
- Enjoy a chocolate-infused cocktail at a beachside bar and reflect on your amazing chocolate road trip through Mexico.
This itinerary is just a suggestion and can be customized based on your preferences and time constraints.
Did you know?
Mexican chocolate is traditionally made using a stone tool called a metate. The metate is a flat, rectangular stone used to grind roasted cocoa beans into a paste, mixed with sugar, cinnamon, and other spices to create a unique chocolate flavor.
The process of grinding the beans on the metate is labor-intensive and requires skill and precision, as the texture of the Mexican chocolate can vary depending on how finely the beans are ground.
This traditional chocolate-making method has been passed down through generations of Mexican families and is still used by some artisanal chocolate makers today.
A little history:
Mexican chocolate goes back to the time of the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Maya and the Aztecs. These civilizations believed that cocoa was a sacred food and played an essential role in their religious ceremonies and daily life.
The Aztecs, in particular, considered cocoa a luxury item and used it as a form of currency. They also believed that the god Quetzalcoatl brought cocoa to them as a gift, and as a result, cocoa was considered a symbol of wealth, power, and divine favor.
When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico in the 1500s, they were introduced to cocoa and quickly developed a taste for the sweet, bitter drink that the Aztecs made with it.
The Spanish then began to export cocoa to Europe, where it quickly became a popular luxury item.
Over time, the chocolate-making process evolved in Mexico by adding sugar and cinnamon. By the 1800s, Mexican chocolate had become a popular drink throughout Mexico, and chocolate factories began to emerge in cities like Oaxaca and Tabasco.
Mexico remains one of the world’s top cocoa producers, and its chocolate-making traditions continue to be celebrated and preserved.
