Fela Chocolate - 97138 Mérida

Very kind, accommodating, and down to earth folks here. Super educational on the topic and history of chocolate - with lessons in Spanish as well as English. So glad I tagged along with my wife on this adventure! A must if you are in Merida, Mexico.

These guys run an artesinal chocolate shop and chocolate class where you roast, grind and form your own chocolate! The lady who runs the class is very kind as is her son. You’ll learn all about cacao and get hands-on as well as have a tasting :) highly recommended if you’re in the area.

Came for the Airbnb "make artisanal chocolate" experience. Aaron is a gracious host and his mother is a great teacher of all things cacao. We learned a ton and ate and drank some delicious chocolate. Highly recommend!

A short 10-15-minute Uber ride from locations on Paseo de Montejo in a safe Merida neighborhood. Very clean, hygienic, and most importantly air-conditioned room to bake chocolate. When I say chocolate, almost any flavor you can imagine. Aaron is fluent in English and went to college in Idaho. Cooking: 1) Literally from bean to chocolate 2) You will pan heat cacao beans, like roasting coffee - the aroma is AMAZING! 3) You will then separate paper skin from cacao beans; Young newlyweds, Aaron and his wife, will make you tea from the paper skins of the cacao beans which is very good for your health. 4) You will then take the cacao beans and grind them (as a demonstration of the ancient Mayan method on a special stone and special wood rolling pin). 5) You'll also get to use a mortar and pestle and grind the cacao beans into a paste; you'll then add flavoring - cinnamon, ginger, almonds, peanuts, sesame seed, mint, salt, and many other flavors of your personal choosing. 6) You'll make circles of chocolate bars from your personal creations! Delicious! Tasting: Wow, just lots of it tasting and then more, and more tasting. I've never tried so many different types of chocolates in different stages of production - fantastic! 1) Tea made from cacao bean skin/paper. High in peptides and will help soothe your stomach from all the steak/meat you've been eating in Mexico. 2) Cacao nibs from roasted cacao beans. 3) Natural organic cacao paste - that you make! 4) Traditional Mayan cacao/chocolate drink of cacao paste and hot water 5) Hot Chocolate made from cacao paste, natural sugar (not processed), and milk. 6) Handmade chocolate bar that you make, to taste. See above, but a wide variety of organic natural flavors. Educational: Learn about the chocolate you eat, the types of cacao , which companies own cacao fields across the world. I don't want to spoil it, but ask what kind of cacao and chocolate Hershey, Lindt, Cadbury, etc., use and why. Fascinating and explains a lot of the 'taste' difference amongst commercial chocolate (and why I prefer Lindt and Cadbury). Conclusion: I haven't seen this specific experience in my travels all over the world. Take the opportunity to take this once in a lifetime moment and personalized experience! Quick trip and still have the rest of the day to tour. Highest recommendation. :)

We took the chocolate class and we learned so much about cacao! It was super fun and interesting, super recomended

Fela chocolate is amazing! We did a chocolate making course, which was incredible - we learnt all about the history of chocolate, made hot chocolate, chocolate sauce and of course ate chocolate! Aaron is incredible, he explains things wonderfully, makes the course very fun ?? Definitely visit if you are in Merida!

What a wonderful morning making chocolate! We learned all about the origins of chocolate, ground our own roasted beans, had chocolate tea and made our own chocolate! I highly recommend this experience. Lovely shop, air conditioned classroom, clean restrooms, too. Don't miss this opportunity!

My husband walked away from this unique experience saying he hadn't expected it to be so interesting. This is an activity that is fun for the whole family and the host is vibrant, kind, and extremely knowledgeable, having dedicated the better part of her life to the cocoa bean. So here's what to expect: you will toast the raw bean, shell it, grind it, add in flavors, pack it into a disc, and package it...tasting it every step of the way, including tea and two variants of hot chocolate, with some of the best conchas I have had to date. If you have time, you'll be able to buy prepared drinks and/or take some home with you. Absolutely an amazing, hands-on experience that will surely be a highlight to your trip to Merida.