La Rifa Chocolatería, Kiwi Fav of the week

In Denmark 47, in the heart of the Juárez neighborhood in Mexico City, you'll find La Rifa Chocolatería, a project aimed at transforming the way chocolate is consumed in our country.  At La Rifa, precious cacao beans from agroforestry systems in Tabasco, Chiapas, and other corners of southeastern Mexico are transformed into beveragesa based on cacao (washed or fermented), origin chocolate seasonal chocolate and other chocolate products—tamales, sweet bread, sweets, ice cream, and even beers—depending on the particularities of each seed.  “The industry has normalized anonymous chocolates,” explains Mónica Lozano, co-owner of La Rifa Chocolatería. “The big chocolate brands do not specify who grows the cacao. That’s why we are interested in having the consumer know where the cacao comes from and who the people are that work day by day to make it possible for it to reach the city.” From cocoa seed tol chocolate The cacao tree grows in a tree with multiple species of timber trees, fruit trees, and flowers over 30 years, acquiring specific flavor notes from the region it comes from.   For a cacao seed to become a productive tree, it takes about 6 years, while the flowers once pollinated take about 4 to 6 months to become ready for harvest.  After the harvest, the pods need to be shelled and then the beans must be fermented for approximately a week. Upon completion of the fermentation, the beans must undergo a drying process that takes about 10 days to be cleaned, sorted, and finally stored.  It is important to note that La Rifa Chocolatería also serves as a space for dissemination where tastings, workshops, courses, and talks related to the cacao production cycle are frequently offered.—Biodiversity, agroforestry systems, grassroots organizations, to mention just a few. Dare to try a delicious fermented dark chocolate or the unparalleled Blanco Jaguar bar. You will be amazed by the flavor of Mexican origin chocolate!