A Chocolate & Cacao Lab is Coming to North County

Respecting the Spirit, Understanding the Science — Discover the Original Wild Strains of Cacao in Carlsbad

We’re opening a community space dedicated to the education, exploration, and celebration of real cacao.

Cacao Adventures Lab is a new space in Carlsbad where you can experience hands-on chocolate-making, guided tastings, and immersive workshops that bring cacao’s rich cultural roots to life.

Whether you're a chocolate lover, curious foodie, or spiritual seeker, you're invited to slow down, sip wild cacao, and connect with where chocolate truly begins.

Our Mission is to Educate through Cacao

Cacao is more than chocolate - it’s a plant with deep cultural, nutritional, and spiritual significance. Through every class and tasting, we aim to share its story with intention and respect for its origins.

We want you to walk away not just with full hearts and bellies, but with a deeper understanding of:

• How cacao is grown and harvested
• What makes ceremonial cacao different
• The journey from wild beans to chocolate
• Indigenous wisdom and ecological practices
• Why honoring origin matters
  
  

What You'll Experience at the Lab

🍫 Guided Tastings
Sample rare, wild-harvested cacao from Peru's Amazon.

👨🏽🍳 Hands-On Chocolate-Making Classes
Temper, mold, and taste - learn from bean to bar with expert guidance.

🌿 Ceremonial Cacao & Ancestral Stories
Explore the ritual, history, and spirit of cacao through immersive experiences.

🎉 Community Gatherings & Private Events
A warm, welcoming space to connect through cacao.

Meet the Chocolate Maker: José Visconti

Our classes and tastings are led by José, founder of Cacao Adventures, Peruvian chocolate maker, Cacao Harvest and Post-Harvest Expert and lifelong student of cacao.

José has spent years working throughout Peru with small-scale cacao farmers and the United Nations’ International Trade Center, where he focused on wild cacao genetics, post-harvest processes, and sustainable sourcing practices rooted in indigenous knowledge.

He’s traveled deep into the Amazon to study cacao in its natural habitat and is now expanding his expertise through a Master’s in Food Science - combining ancestral wisdom with scientific understanding to bring you a one-of-a-kind cacao experience in Carlsbad.