Description: Cacao beans (where chocolate comes from) were used for many centuries as trading coin by the Mayas, Aztecs and many other cultures of Mesoamerica, for example a turkey was traded for 20 cacao beans and a slave for 200, so Money grows on trees.
In my visit to the Ruta Puuc I found interesting signs in the road, a turkey (ok), a deer (too bad I didn't see any) a feline (wow, wish I was that lucky) all sponsored by Ecomuseo del Cacao, so I took a break in my hot walking day and visited the museum, my plan was to do a quick visit and then continue to Labna to see the arch, well, quick transformed into almost 2 hours of a very interesting up close visit to not just the cacao, but to the Maya world.
The museum is located in the grounds of a cacao plantation and there are different cabañas devoted each to: the environment where the Maya evolved, the daily life of the Mayas including funerary rites, flora and fauna of the region, a very nice demonstration where they make hot cacao (the real chocolate) and you can taste it and finally the process to elaborate chocolate.
I have to applaud the founder of the museum, very well done, they have excellent reproductions of famous carvings found at archaeological sites, displays with the items used at a real Maya house and between each cabaña there are different species of trees and a signs with an explanation of their uses and benefits.
The nice touch, is that even-though the museum is supposed to talk only about cacao, it gives a very ample explanation of the origin and relation with the Mayan culture and it's relations.
At the demonstration of cacao preparation, they show all the process from toasting to grinding and flavoring the beverage, it was very interesting to taste something I have only read in books and saw in movies, the cacao was drank with achiote (for coloring red, same as blood), cinnamon, allspice (pimienta gorda) and chile. I was a bit hesitant, but added just a tiny amount of achiote and chile, it was a very interesting flavor, not hot at all.
Towards the exit and before the gift shop / cafeteria, you pass through the plantation and I took a few pics of the cacao pods and flowers, too bad it wasn't harvesting time, because the pods contain a pulp around the pods, and it is very sweet, I have always wanted to taste it, so an excuse for another trip.
At the cafeteria you can sample some of the chocolates, I tried one with allspice but was not my election, a bit weird for me. The other with achiote and cinnamon was much better. Instead I ordered a cup of cold chocolate and it was very refreshing and gave me energy to return to Uxmal for the night show.
If you do the Ruta Puuc, don't miss the ecomuseum, very worth and will give you more cultural information that I would have expected.
Entrance fee 90 pesos, Feb2012.
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