One of the volcano’s of Arequipa
When staying in the foothills of an active volcano, it’s good to have a distraction. We found a great one in Chaqchao (pronounced chock-chow) a delightful artisan chocolate factory in Arequipa, Peru.
Owner Javiar Chavez
Owner Javiar Chavez lead the chocolate making class at their colonial-era “campus”. He taught us how cacao beans are grown, harvested, and fermented. Javiar then spilled an armload of beans onto the counter for us to crack and peel.
Sorting through the fermented cacao beans
Using a granite mortar, we pounded them into a paste, which was then swirled in water to create cacahhuatl (caca-waddle) which is a drink the Aztec kings drank made from a cacao paste.
Javiar then showed us what went into making fine Peruvian chocolates, from bean to bar.
Claudia smelling the cocoa beans
At the end of the workshop we formed our own chocolate bon bons using Andean ingredients like quinoa, coca and chilis.
Making Bon Bon Chocolatusing Andean ingredients like quinoa, nuts and coca.
Afterward, Donna, our classmate Claudia of Germany, and I enjoyed espresso and brownies on the second level deck just outside their coffee bar. Chaqchao also offers a variety of local beers. Their gift shop sells, along with a variety of chocolate, the best chocolate covered banana you’ll ever eat. We took home some cacao bean shells for our son-in-law to flavor his beer. It’s also used to make tea. During our entire visit, we didn’t think once about the 19,000-foot tall mountain outside the window!