ChocoMuseo Chocolate Workshop

Learn how to make chocolate during a two-hour workshop at ChocoMuseo in Cusco. The session traces the process from the cacao tree to the moulding and everything in between.

Overview

Two hours inside a working chocolate museum on the corner of Plaza Regocijo. The ChocoMuseo workshop walks you from bean to bar: you roast cacao beans, strip away the husk, grind the nibs on a metate with a mano the same way the Aztecs did, and then run the paste through a melangeur to refine it. Instructors supervise each stage, and the group samples chocolate along the way.

Between the technical steps there is history. Cusco has a claim on some of the finest chocolate in the world, and the session covers why, along with the story of the cacao bean itself. You also prepare hot chocolate and drinks in the style of the Maya and the conquistadores before molding your own chocolate bar with ingredients you pick yourself.

You leave with roughly 100 to 150 grams of your own handmade chocolate. The finished bars are not handed over at the door, since pick up is 45 minutes after the workshop ends, so plan for a short gap before collecting them. The workshop suits travellers who want an interactive, food-focused activity in Cusco and like the idea of making something themselves.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at ChocoMuseoFind the workshop on the corner of Plaza Regocijo, marked by green and orange flags hanging from the balconies. Transportation to the meeting point is not included.
2. Cacao history introductionThe instructor covers the history of the cacao bean and explains why Cusco produces some of the finest chocolate around the world.
3. Roast the beansYou roast cacao beans yourself, the first of four essential steps in the bean-to-bar process.
4. Husk and grindRemove the husk from the roasted beans, then grind the nibs on a metate with a mano, the same method the Aztecs used.
5. Refine the pasteThe ground cacao paste goes into a melangeur for refining, with the instructor supervising each stage.
6. Hot chocolate and drinksPrepare hot chocolates with ingredients of your choice and try drinks the way the Maya and the conquistadores had them in ancient times.
7. Mold your own barCreate and personalize your own chocolate bar with your choice of ingredients. Your chocolates will be ready for pick up 45 minutes after the workshop ends.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help you get the most out of this workshop, from what to wear to when you can actually collect your chocolates.

• Getting there. Transportation is not included, so you make your own way to the corner of Plaza Regocijo. Look for the green and orange flags hanging from the balconies; that is the sign you are in the right place.
• You will stand. The workshop is hands-on from start to finish, and some travellers note there is no seating or real break, since you are standing and working most of the session. Wear comfortable shoes and expect to be on your feet for the full two hours.
• Come hungry. You sample chocolate throughout the process, not just at the end. One reviewer described leaving with a belly full of chocolate and a sugar rush, so it helps to arrive with room to spare rather than straight after a big meal.
• The instructors. Reviewers consistently praise the instructors as knowledgeable, friendly and engaging. One traveller also described the session as light and fun.
• Collecting your bars. Your chocolates are ready for pick up 45 minutes after the workshop ends. Plan a coffee or a wander around Plaza Regocijo for that gap rather than booking something tight immediately afterwards.
• Hands-on format. The format is interactive rather than lecture-based, with grinding, molding and tasting at every stage. Reviewers describe it as fun and educational at the same time, which suits anyone who prefers doing to watching.

Common issues. The main complaint is physical: some travellers say the lack of seating or brief breaks was tiring, since the group stands throughout the workshop. Transportation is not included, so you need to arrange your own way to and from Plaza Regocijo. You also cannot walk out with your chocolates the moment the session ends, as pick up is 45 minutes after the workshop finishes.

Common Questions