Just in case you’ve been wondering where that scrumptious chocolate you like so much comes from, I’m about to give you a tutorial.

First you start with Enrique.  Enrique does not work on Wednesdays, so schedule your workshop carefully.  Dang, wish I could remember the name of the place, but it’s in Lima.  I’m sure you can find it with no problem.  Just go to Parque Kennedy, cross the street, walk down a few storefronts and there is the Chocolate Museum.  There’s the name of it!  Knew if I concentrated I could remember.  It’s the Museo de Chocolate.  Go in and ask for directions to the workshop and they’ll helpfully oblige, which is lucky, because I can’t remember how to tell you to get there.  But back to Enrique.

I really wish now I had bought one of these when I was in Lima.  The t-shirt, okay?  The t-shirt.  Anyway, it doesn’t really start with Enrique, although he is a very important ingredient.

Here is where it starts, with this tree growing those pods.  

That’s what’s inside those pods.

Then you put those beans that have been extracted from those pods and you put them in a pan and heat them, but be careful not to overdo it.  When you hear two or three “pops” you’ll know it’s time to take them off the fire.

Then it’s time to separate the shell from the bean inside, but be careful, they’re really hot!  Once you have them separated, and to give yourself a little break, you can make tea from the shells before you get down to the really hard work.

If you think any of this is easy, think again.  It’s hard work and requires deep concentration and skill.

Also, I know you’ve been wondering if that’s really me, because of the hair and all, but all you have to do is look at the mouth.  It’s always working.

Ooops.  I see I’ve moved ahead a step or two.  Here we are choosing the delicious things we’re going to put into our chocolate.  First you have to take that mortar and pestle and grind the hell out of those beans to make a paste, and trust me, it is NOT EASY.  I’m embarrassed to say that during that part of the process, I had to have help.

That’s us enjoying our tea while taking a break from grinding the beans into a paste.  That’s Amy from Whitefish, Montana on the far left, just in case you’re wondering.  I thought it was quite miraculous that two gals from Montana were in the same Spanish class in Lima, Peru.

That’s Pat, who was instrumental in helping me retain what little sanity I have left after the loss of my passport, etc., not to mention making sure that I had enough money to survive for two weeks while awaiting the transfer of money to me.

And that’s how you make chocolate.  It’s really not so complicated after all.  I have no idea why we don’t have pictures of the finished product.  I know we took them, but they disappeared about as quickly as the chocolate we took home.  This was one of the best Lima activities I got to be a part of.  What a night of laughter and hard work – I am not joking about the grinding of the beans into paste being hard work.  So the next time you put some chocolate in your mouth, remember where it comes from!  And you’re welcome.