Making Chocolate – Culinary & Folk Arts of Oaxaca

Schedule

Mon Oct 20 2025 at 02:00 pm to 05:00 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA, United States, California 93105 | Santa Barbara, CA

Advertisement
Join Bany Vargas for a hands-on workshop celebrating traditional Oaxacan ways of making chocolate. Explore the botany of cacao trees and learn about the cultural significance of cacao and chocolate. Roast organic Oaxacan cacao beans over a clay comal, peel them, and grind ingredients with a handmill or metate. Mold your chocolate and take it home, if you can resist eating it that long! Enjoy a prepared chocolate drink at the end of the workshop.
Members $50, non-members $65. For ages 14 and up, and children must be accompanied by an adult. Space is limited, so register online today:
https://tickets.sbnature.org/events/49dc023a-0736-078f-0553-b54251cd982b
Instructor is bilingual and ready to support Spanish-speaking participants by request.
About the Instructor
Bany Vargas was born in Telixtlahuaca, Oaxaca, and immigrated to Santa Barbara, California, at age 8. Though raised in the U.S., her Oaxacan roots remained strong—tied, as her grandmother said, to the traditional burial of her umbilical stump in her hometown. After 27 years, she returned to Oaxaca to reconnect with her heritage. A trained chef, Bany shifted her focus from commercial kitchens to traditional Oaxacan cooking, learning directly from her grandmother, Chaguita. This journey led her to create Chocolate Chaguita, a brand honoring ancestral methods like stone-grinding cacao on a metate. Today, Bany is dedicated to preserving and reimagining Oaxacan culinary traditions through chocolate, mole, and masa-based dishes.
Discover the entire series of Culinary & Folk Arts of Oaxaca workshops:
October 19: Maize, Masa, and Tacos*
October 20: Making Chocolate*
October 21: Cooking with Insects*
October 22: Paint Your Own Alebrije
October 23: Mexican Metal Art
For more information, contact [email protected].
*Get a series ticket for all three culinary workshops: Members $100, non-members $130
Photo by Celeste Camarillo
Advertisement

Where is it happening?

2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA, United States, California 93105

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Icon
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Host or Publisher Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Ask AI if this event suits you:

Discover More Events in Santa Barbara

Boz Scaggs
Mon, 20 Oct Boz Scaggs

Arlington Theatre

ART THEATRE
Philharmonia Orchestra at Granada Theater Santa Barbara
Mon, 20 Oct at 07:30 pm Philharmonia Orchestra at Granada Theater Santa Barbara

Granada Theater Santa Barbara

ART THEATRE
Cooking with Insects \u2013 Culinary & Folk Arts of Oaxaca
Tue, 21 Oct at 03:00 pm Cooking with Insects – Culinary & Folk Arts of Oaxaca

2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA, United States, California 93105

WORKSHOPS FOOD-DRINKS
Blippi Live
Tue, 21 Oct at 04:00 pm Blippi Live

Arlington Theatre

ART THEATRE
Vikingur Olafsson
Tue, 21 Oct at 04:00 pm Vikingur Olafsson

Campbell Hall At UCSB

CALENDAR
GlideView Insight Series: The Matter with Money
Tue, 21 Oct at 06:00 pm GlideView Insight Series: The Matter with Money

735 State St

Young Tuck presents: TUCK AND FRIENDS FESTIVAL
Tue, 21 Oct at 06:30 pm Young Tuck presents: TUCK AND FRIENDS FESTIVAL

1221 State St, Ste 205, Santa Barbara, CA, United States, California 93101

FESTIVALS
Boz Scaggs in Santa Barbara
Tue, 21 Oct at 07:30 pm Boz Scaggs in Santa Barbara

Arlington Theatre

ART THEATRE
Sabado (Saturday) Architectural Walking Tour
Sat, 17 Jun at 10:00 am Sabado (Saturday) Architectural Walking Tour

Santa Barbara City Hall steps

ART WORKSHOPS
Domingo (Sunday) Architectural Walking Tour
Sun, 30 Jul at 10:00 am Domingo (Sunday) Architectural Walking Tour

Santa Barbara Downtown Public Library

ART WORKSHOPS
Paint at Paseo
Thu, 02 Nov at 05:00 pm Paint at Paseo

Paseo Nuevo

ART FINE-ARTS
Aligning Passion with Profession:  Your Soul's Journey - Santa Barbara
Thu, 29 Feb at 08:00 am Aligning Passion with Profession: Your Soul's Journey - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA

WORKSHOPS BUSINESS
SANTA BARBARA - Schizophrenia Success Secrets
Wed, 19 Jun at 06:00 pm SANTA BARBARA - Schizophrenia Success Secrets

Virtual via Zoom

WORKSHOPS
Got Big Dreams? Bring Them to Life with Real Estate! Santa Barbara Webinar
Sat, 28 Dec at 07:00 am Got Big Dreams? Bring Them to Life with Real Estate! Santa Barbara Webinar

Santa Barbara

WORKSHOPS VIRTUAL
Infant\/Child CPR for Expecting Parents
Thu, 09 Jan at 05:00 pm Infant/Child CPR for Expecting Parents

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital

WORKSHOPS NONPROFIT
Introduction to Breastfeeding: In Person
Mon, 13 Jan at 06:00 pm Introduction to Breastfeeding: In Person

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital

HEALTH-WELLNESS NONPROFIT
Sound Healing with Crystal Singing Bowls
Tue, 01 Apr at 07:00 pm Sound Healing with Crystal Singing Bowls

Unity of Santa Barbara

HEALTH-WELLNESS WORKSHOPS
Pranayama - Free Breathing Class \u2022 Santa Barbara
Wed, 09 Apr at 10:00 am Pranayama - Free Breathing Class • Santa Barbara

Soul Dimension

HEALTH-WELLNESS WORKSHOPS
Breathwork - Weekly Free Class \u2022 Santa Barbara
Wed, 09 Apr at 10:00 am Breathwork - Weekly Free Class • Santa Barbara

Soul Dimension

HEALTH-WELLNESS WORKSHOPS
Sound Healing with Crystal Singing Bowls
Tue, 06 May at 07:00 pm Sound Healing with Crystal Singing Bowls

Unity of Santa Barbara

HEALTH-WELLNESS WORKSHOPS

What's Happening Next in Santa Barbara?

Discover Santa Barbara Events