CACAOMEX — Restaurant in Mérida

This place is a scam. They'll tell you the process chocolate by hand in the traditional way. The reality is they aren't taking basic steps common to traditional and european methods. First they don't separate the husk from the nib after cracking (winnowing) second they aren't roasting after fermentation which is important to destroy mold still growing on the beans after fermentation. They also tell you they remove fat from the chocolate so it doesn't melt as easily, but they say it's a secret as to how they do that. The only way that's done is through with an industrial hydraulic press, but it's doubtful they're doing that. Also, the tour guides aren't even aware of the different cultivars of cacao aside from the 3 major groupings (criollo, forestero, trinitaro).

The reality is this place is just offering free tours to get you into a show room where they sell you a bad product for 10 dollars a bar. They're just taking fermented beans and grinding them into a paste most likely on a molino. There are great companies that do authentic traditional cacao (Taza is one of them) but these guys are not that.

Avoid this place. More than anything this chocolate is likely to...

Stumbled upon this gem while strolling through the street. In a blink of an eye we were taken on a tour through the history of authentic Mayan chocolate production. Compact and lightweight (+-30 minutes). It also included a tasting room, where we could taste everything they produce. You could feel the passion of the people working here and their love for their products. Didn't feel like they were driven by money at all. Thanks for the cooking tips as well!

10/10,...

The staff was really nice. The museum part was very small. They were out of stock of the Cacao pucks for making the traditional Mayan drink and could not give an answer for when it would be back in stock. They had an assortment of Cacao chocolate bars with/without sugar. Small samples were free. The cafetera was not open and looked as if it may have been out of service for a while. The Cacao bars were $200....