Visiting the museum

Choco-Story, the gourmet chocolate museum, recounts 4000 years of the history of cocoa and chocolate in words, pictures and flavours. The museum immerses its visitors in the amazing world of chocolate and leads him through a fascinating voyage over the ages. The experience is intense and awakens the senses..

The museum is composed of three separate parts that tell the story of the origin and the evolution of chocolate by means of a unique collection of a thousand objects..

Beyond the historical aspect, the museum also recounts in detail the methods of making chocolate, the ingredients that are used and how making chocolate has evolved over the centuries.
The demonstration centre will reveal to visitors the secret of making shiny chocolate and give them the opportunity to taste chocolate products that have been made on site.

First part

The Maya section explains the mystical rituals of the Mayas and the Aztecs, illustrated by superb, authentic objects.
The Olmecs were the first people to start using cocoa 4000 years ago.

Then the Mayas, from 250 BC to 900 AD, who originated from a civilization that had very advanced knowledge of architecture, astronomy and mathematics, perpetrated and refined the use of cocoa and laid the foundations for the cultivation of the cacao tree.

Thereafter, the Toltecs and the Aztecs (from 1150 AD to 1500 AD), took over the cultivation of the cacao tree from the Mayas. They venerated the cacao tree which they called "the tree of Paradise". At this time, cocoa was a bitter drink made from cocoa mass, water and spices. The different civilizations at this time considered cocoa to be the "divine nectar", the food of the gods and for the gods. The god Quetzalcoatl (the feathered serpent) traditionally plays an important role in the history of cocoa; he was said to be the great master of cocoa and to have taught man how to grow and prepare "Tchocoatl". In the Maya section, visitors can admire a statue of him.

Did you know that cocoa was not only used to prepare the divine nectar, but also as a means with which to bargain? Cocoa was very valuable; at the time a rabbit cost 10 cocoa beans and a slave would cost 100 cocoa beans.

Second part

The second part begins with the important meeting in 1519 between the Aztec emperor, Montezuma, and Hernando Cortes which subsequently led to the introduction of cocoa in Europe.
In 1502, Christopher Columbus was the first European to taste the "Tchocoatl" drink made from cocoa, but he did not really find it to his liking and paid it little attention.

In 1502, Christopher Columbus was the first European to taste the "Tchocoatl" drink made from cocoa, but he did not really find it to his liking and paid it little attention.
In 1527, Cortes started to import the precious cocoa beans to Spain. "Chocolate" rapidly became the favourite drink of the court of Spain from where it gradually spread to the royal courts of the other European countries in the 17th century: notably to France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.
In 1615 the chocolate drink was served at formal hearings held in the court of France.

By the mid 17th century the first tearooms and "chocolate" rooms started to appear.
Up until the 18th century chocolate was manufactured by hand. The manufacturing process was considerably improved during the industrial revolution and chocolate experienced its moment of glory in the 19th century.
Up until the 18th century chocolate was manufactured by hand. The manufacturing process was considerably improved during the industrial revolution and chocolate experienced its moment of glory in the 19th century.

During the 19th century, the manufacture of chocolate started to diversify and it could be found in various forms, both liquid and solid, as milk chocolate, chocolate bars, hollow figures and pralines. From this time on, everyone could have chocolate!
The museum takes you on a walk through the 20th century, starting with an introduction to the manufacture of chocolate at the beginning of the century. Enter into the fabulous world of a chocolate factory in the 1950s where the melting machine and other utensils take pride of place.

The museum's superb collection of chocolate cups (Mancerinas and Trembleuses) as well as the different types of chocolate pots made out of copper, silver and various other materials, are witness to the growing popularity of this drink in Europe. Up until the end of the 18th century, chocolate drinks were nonetheless a delicacy reserved for the nobility, the upper classes and the clergy.
Chocolate was also on sale in chemist's shops and stores selling spices, in the first case to sweeten the bitter, even utterly disgusting taste of certain medicines and in the second to improve the taste of food.
Chocolate was really only appreciated in its own right towards the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries.

Third part

The last part deals with the contemporary aspect of chocolate. There are several areas where you can improve your knowledge of chocolate and learn about its numerous qualities.

In our demonstration centre we will explain in detail how the best quality chocolate is made, what you must do and above all what you must not do, in order to obtain chocolate that is shiny and crisp. You will also be able to taste the chocolate that we produce on site.

Why not enjoy watching a screening of a documentary that explains the different stages of chocolate production, from the growing of the cacao tree to the final transformation into chocolate.
We will also be explaining in this part why chocolate is good for health, for it now has a growing reputation for possessing numerous properties that are beneficial for health and interest in this aspect of chocolate continues to grow.

Following on to this, it will be difficult not to visit our temporary exhibition. Indeed we have decided to renew part of our exhibition two or three times a year. Given that chocolate is a popular product in constant progress, we feel it is our duty to keep track of its development and keep you up to date on its evolution.

The visit ends with a presentation of our partner and Choco-Story's main supplier of chocolate: Belcolade.
We also suggest you take a few minutes to try out our questionnaire on chocolate. We have developed a tool that, according to your answers, will determine which type of chocolate in our range suits you best.

Museum shop

Before you leave the museum, why not visit our shop where you will find many books that will help you to learn more about the history and the secrets of chocolate. You will also find lots of original ideas and delicious things to eat in souvenir of your visit to Choco-Story, the gourmet chocolate museum. For example, try our delicious chocolates to remind you of your discovery of the wonderful world of chocolate once you get home.