Stuck in bed for two months after herniating three discs in his back while on a trip to Yosemite, Eduardo Ponce had a lot of time to think. When he started thinking about chocolate, he had a lot of questions: Where does it come from? How is it made? Why is it so significant?
These questions sent him down a rabbit hole that created a passion Ponce has poured himself into for the past five years. Turning that passion into a business, Ponce just opened Californio Chocolate, a bean-to-bar chocolate shop that hopes to revive the Mexican history of chocolate.
“I wanted people to come to my shop and have an experience, and, you know, enjoy the process of the chocolate making and also learn about the history,” Ponce said.
The art of chocolate dates back roughly 4,000 years to the first Mesoamerican societies, including the Mokaya and the Olmecs (though newer evidence suggests the history of chocolate goes back even further and originated in the Amazon).
Cacao was seen as a gift from the gods and was one of the most important crops in Mesoamerica. It was commonly consumed as a frothy, bitter drink during ceremonies and rituals, but the beans were also used as currency.
Spanish settlers brought cacao back to Europe in the 1500s. From there, chocolate evolved into a sweet indulgence, and the demand for cacao grew exponentially. Today, nearly 5 million tons of cacao are produced worldwide, with Ivory Coast and Ghana being the leading producers, according to the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa.
Ponce said growing up he thought chocolate came from Europe, so when he learned of the Mexican and South American origins, “it just blew [his] mind away.”
“I just wanted to shed some light into that [history] because I thought it was a great story that people need to know,” Ponce said.
This history guides Ponce’s work and is displayed throughout his shop. Two murals, framed by tiled arches, depict two key cacao-producing regions in Mexico: Chiapas and Tabasco. Under each arch, a range of chocolate bars made by Ponce using beans from each respective region is on display.
Each region produces its own unique flavor profile due to differences in temperature, elevation and surrounding vegetation. Chocolate from Chiapas is described as having a fudgier, brownie taste with hints of mango, plum, sugar cane, and currant. On the other hand, the chocolate from Tabasco has a nuttier taste with hints of plum, citrus and molasses.
Ponce focuses on making dark chocolate. At Californio Chocolate, customers can find 50%, 75% and 80% dark chocolate bars from each region, as well as flavored options including vanilla, espresso and jamaica made with a 70% dark chocolate base. They also offer espresso drinks and treats like chocolate bark.
Ponce offers free samples of all the chocolates he makes so customers can have a full experience and make an informed decision on what they’re buying. Ponce also offers samples of candied cacao beans and chocolate-covered almonds.
While sampling, customers can look through the window to get a peek at some of the final steps of the chocolate-making process.
The full process from bean to bar takes about a month, Ponce said. Once the beans are harvested, they are fermented in mango wood boxes for about a week, then laid out to dry in the sun for several more days. The beans are then sorted and shipped to chocolatiers like Ponce.
Ponce then roasts the beans and removes the shells. From there, the nibs are ground into a fine powder, melted down and tempered before being poured into a mold.
Ponce is proud of what he has created in Californio Chocolate and is excited to show off the shop. Though they’ve already had their official grand opening, Ponce hopes to celebrate a bit more once he feels settled in.
“It’s chocolate with soul,” Ponce said.
Californio Chocolate, 3708 E Anaheim Street, is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.