MUCHO Museo del Chocolate, Mexico City

Thanks to a tip from a wonderful server at Las Alcobas boutique hotel in Mexico City, I was able to discover the MUCHO Museo del Chocolate which is a fabulous chocolate museum, cafe, and artisan chocolate maker all at one intriguing location in the Roma District of Mexico City. And yes, there is a Que Bo! chocolateria in the Mercado Roma neighbourhood of this massive city.

Markos Ayala was the chocolatier at MUCHO Chocolate in the Museo del Chocolate in Mexico City at the time of my visit in 2015.

I was privileged to have a private tour of the chocolate museum with resident chocolate maker, Markos Ayala, trained in the art of chocolate making by Chef José Ramón Castillo, profiled in our post on Que Bo! Chocolate. I was impressed by Ayala’s knowledge of the history of cacao in Mexico, as well as his chocolate making abilities. Not to mention his charming personality!

I was amazed at the massive size of the dried cacao leaves from the Tabasco region of Mexico that are hanging from the ceiling at the Museo del Chocolate. The leaves are so large because the trees in this region grow in full sun.

The chocolate museum is housed in a historic 1909 building and is the perfect blend of history with contemporary culture. There are educational displays on the Mayan people and their respect for cacao as a sacred crop. And a sunny open courtyard with plants that make this a very visitor-friendly museum.

The Museo del Chocolate in Mexico City has a lovely setting with natural light and fresh plants.

The Mayans considered cacao a magical substance that fed the mind, body, and spirit. The Aztecs of the region also honoured cacao and used it as a trading currency. Some of the detailed exhibits are in both Spanish and English. Some are in Spanish only. Fortunately, the illustrations adequately tell the story, even if you can’t understand all the descriptions.

The exhibits at the Museo del Chocolate are intricately illustrated depicting the early Mayan and Aztec cultures and their connection to cacao.

The exhibits at the Museo del Chocolate really bring the story of cacao to life.

Unfortunately, the museum is not currently accessible to visitors who cannot do stairs, and most of the exhibits are on the second floor. There is no elevator. But the main floor does house a 1940’s vintage Lehman chocolate grinder imported from Europe, as well as a lovely gift shop and cafe where you can enjoy and purchase chocolate treats.

My stash of goodies from the Museo del Chocolate in Mexico City.

MUCHO Mundo Chocolate is the name of the brand of chocolate confections made at the museum. They primarily work with cocoa beans from two regions: that of Tabasco, and Chiapas. I tasted the bars from each region, and preferred the bar made from the Tabasco region, but they were both good and had that truly Mexican flavour. Traditional Mexican chocolate is made using a blend of cacao beans mixed with vanilla beans, chili de arbol, (hot chilli peppers) and a touch of cinnamon and salt. This mixture is conched (mixed together) for 24-45 hours to get the desired consistency before it is made into chocolate bars.

I learned much during my tour at the MUCHO Chocolate Museo del Chocolate in Mexico City and highly recommend it as a stop for any visitor who happens to love chocolate–and who doesn’t?

Have you been to the Museo del Chocolate in Mexico City, or have you visited any other chocolate museums? Please share your comment with us here, and don’t forget to subscribe to the site to ensure you don’t miss any future posts. Ciao for now!