Ah Cacao Chocolate Cafe: Decadent Drinking Chocolate
Ah Cacao Chocolate Cafe, Avenida x Av. Constituyentes 5ta, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
We couldn’t visit Mexico without trying some decadent Mayan drinking chocolate. Ah Cacao Chocolate Cafe offers a wide range of chocolate drinks, some desserts and for some strange reason, carrot cake. We didn’t try the carrot cake but I just remember it being so out of place in the display case amongst the rich chocolate desserts. There wasn’t any chocolate in the carrot cake but maybe it was there to appeal to the tourists. There were lots of tourists at the chocolate cafe, the servers were all fluent in English and very helpful with our questions. Some of our family and friends are major foodies so we couldn’t go home without some authentic Mayan treats. Ah Cacao also offers free wifi which is handy when you need to look up something on Google street view or just check your email.
Drinking chocolate, Ah Cacao Chocolate Cafe, Avenida x Av. Constituyentes 5ta, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
We bought some little sacks of Mayan drinking chocolates for our family and friends – they came in the form of heavy round disks and came packaged in neat little mesh sacks. The directions on the Ah Cacao website instructs you to melt each disk in boiling milk or water.
Drinking chocolate, Ah Cacao Chocolate Cafe, Avenida x Av. Constituyentes 5ta, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
We ordered a couple cups of drinking chocolate to try too. The chocolate is so rich and decadent, it is served in these itty bitty cups similar to espresso cups. We ordered the sipping chocolate which is simply pure melted Ah Cacao dark chocolate. We also ordered a cup of Chocolate Maya which is melted chocolate with hot and sweet spices. I liked the Chocolate Maya better – it was just as silky and smooth as the sipping chocolate but with a kick of spices that tickled my tongue and gave the heavy chocolate drink some depth and a tingly aftertaste.
Chocolate Maya, Ah Cacao Chocolate Cafe, Avenida x Av. Constituyentes 5ta, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
The sipping chocolate was smooth and thick, it was so dense that it was almost hard to sip out of the cup. It was just like drinking a very decadent chocolate bar.
Drinking chocolate, Ah Cacao Chocolate Cafe, Avenida x Av. Constituyentes 5ta, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Chocolate on the Mayan Riviera has a history of being one of the gourmet foods that Ancient Mayans offered to their kings and Gods so you can imagine how important chocolate is to Mexican culinary culture. There’s just something about Mayan chocolate that is different from anything else I’ve tasted before. The nutty and rich flavours are more robust and bold but yet the texture of the chocolate is still very smooth and silky. Ah Cacao Chocolate Cafe is a must-visit for any chocolate lover. Ah Cacao is also a very environmentally sustainable company using recyclable cups and bags in their stores; the company also works with local organizations to educate school children about sustainability and the environment. What we’ve noticed about Mexico is that the locals make an effort to preserve their environment. Hand sanitizer was found all throughout our hotel, in the suites, in the restaurants and common areas so guests can clean the germs off their hands before interacting with the environment. Tourist websites encourage visitors to only use biodegradable, organic sunscreen when swimming in the cenotes and at the beach as to not harm the wildlife. Many local Mexican companies seem to be taking on the seriousness of environmental sustainability and Ah Cacao is no exception.