Flavors of Belize: An Online Chocolate Tasting with Mayan Culture & History

Join us for an unforgettable online chocolate-tasting experience, where rich flavors and fascinating history come together! This unique event will showcase some of the craft chocolate from Belize, a country renowned for its deep-rooted connection to cacao cultivation. Belize is not only home to some of the world's most exceptional cacao but also to the Mayan people, who have a long and profound history with chocolate.

Guiding you through this immersive tasting will be Karla of Opening Chocolate, who will share insights into the art of crafting chocolate from bean to bar, with special attention to the makers from Belize. But this event is more than just a tasting! We will also be joined by a Mayan culture and language scholar, Kerry Hull (see his bio below), who will offer fascinating perspectives on the historical and cultural significance of chocolate in Mayan civilization, as well as insights into their traditions and language.

This is a rare opportunity to savor exquisite chocolate while also deepening your understanding of the culture and heritage from which it originates. Don't miss this one-of-a-kind event—reserve your spot now and indulge in an evening of flavor, culture, and history!

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE TICKET PRICE:

-a 1.5 to 2-hour guided online tasting with an experienced chocolate sommelier and a Mayan scholar

-you will learn how to taste fine chocolate and experience the unique tastes in these bars

- a minimum of 10 samples of specially procured Belizean-made chocolate

-one custom tasting mat

-one chocolate flavour wheel

-FREE shipping within the continental USA. If you are outside of this area, please contact Karla at [email protected] to explore available options.

IMPORTANT DETAILS:

This online event will be hosted on Zoom. Once tickets have been purchased you will receive the Zoom link via the email you provide.

Tickets are very limited. ONLY 8 tickets are available for this event.

Ticket sales will close for customers who want shipping on Nov 3rd, 2024. Customers who can do a local pick-up will be able to purchase tickets until Nov 10, 2024. If you are outside the continental USA, please contact [email protected] for options.

Requests for refunds may be made BEFORE the chocolate kit has shipped. In general, shipping occurs at the latest 14 days before the event. If the chocolate kit has already shipped no refunds will be made but you may transfer your online ticket to another party.

Tickets are for one screen. Samples may be shared but this is NOT a full bar experience.

Classes may be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances but will be rescheduled.

If you cannot attend the online tasting event tasting notes and brief correspondence will be provided.

ALLERGENS:

Due to the nature of this tasting event, substitutions cannot be made.

A full ingredient list can be provided prior to purchase on request. A full ingredient list can be provided with each tasting kit upon request.

Products may contain traces of dairy, nuts, soy, and wheat.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE ATTENDING AN ONLINE TASTING:

"I've done three tastings with Karla. She does great job explaining all the chocolate from origin to tasting. Fun experience. Definitely recommend for any chocolate lover."

“Experiencing chocolate with Karla is so much more than just eating craft chocolate with friends! She meticulously curated the samples to really showcase the contrasts and unique qualities of each bar. She was extremely knowledgeable, yet approachable, as she guided our group in experiencing the chocolate. Highly recommend!"

“Karla’s classes are so fun! They’re a great combination of fun, delicious chocolate, great varieties, and education from her chocolate expertise! Highly recommend.”

"Karla's chocolate tastings are about so much more than chocolate - she incorporates history, linguistics, botany, the relevance of other foods that are part of the region. It's so much more than a a chocolate tasting. Karla accessibly breaks down socioeconomics, history, and assumptions in way that imbues her tastings with meaningful background that can inform how you taste chocolate on your own."

MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST EXPERT:

Kerry Hull is a professor at Brigham Young University. He earned a B.A. in Spanish and B.A. in French in 1992 from Utah State University. He received an M.S. in Applied Linguistics from Georgetown University in 1993. He completed a Ph.D. in Linguistic Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin in 2003. His academic interests include Maya linguistics and anthropology, Eastern Polynesian linguistics, historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, and Maya epigraphic studies. He has conducted linguistic, ethnobotanical, ethno-ornithological, and archaeological fieldwork in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and various areas in Polynesia. He is the author of A Dictionary of Ch’orti’ Mayan published in 2016.

What are you waiting for? Join us today in this adventurous tasting experience!

If you have any questions please contact:

[email protected]

Host or Publisher Karla of Opening Chocolate