Roast & Grind: Cacao Workshop at Martaja Agave in Colonia Guerrero

On a narrow street in Colonia Guerrero, Ciudad de México, Martaja Agave turns an ordinary afternoon into a hands-on lesson in Mesoamerican flavor. At Degollado 139-b, in a former neighborhood butcher's shop, you’ll meet a compact group of fellow cooks for a roughly three-hour workshop that walks you through the lifecycle of chocolate — from bean to cup. The space itself belongs to Martaja Agave, the tasting-room project reimagined by meatmonger's son and tequila aficionado Mickey Marentes, whose collection of agave-spirit memorabilia and preserved architectural details make the venue part classroom, part museum.

The session opens with a short history of cacao and its role across pre-Hispanic societies, then moves to the practical: roasting whole cacao beans over live heat, cracking and winnowing nibs, and grinding on a traditional metate. The metate action is the heart of the experience; it’s physical, rhythmic, and oddly meditative, producing freshly ground cacao that tastes entirely different than any powdered mix. From there you’ll be encouraged to experiment — fold in chile, achiote, or avocado leaf, each ingredient tracing a clear line back to regional cooking traditions. The final act is sitting at a set table with artisanal serveware to sip your own concoctions and compare flavor notes.

The class is small — up to 12 participants — which keeps instruction intimate and the conversation lively. Bilingual guides explain techniques and the cultural context in English and Spanish. Options include private upgrades or alternative venues like a rooftop or in-home tasting, so groups seeking a tailored experience can easily customize the afternoon. Martaja Agave’s placement in Colonia Guerrero matters: the neighborhood’s working-class streets and historic façades lend authenticity to the lesson, outside the glossy circuits of Polanco or Roma.

Practical takeaways include transferable kitchen skills — bean selection, roast timing, metate technique — and recipes you can replicate at home. Beyond technique, the class is a connective experience: it ties modern Mexico City food culture back to Indigenous practices while channeling the proprietor’s passion for agave spirits and local stories. Whether you’re a chocolate obsessive or a curious traveler looking for tactile culinary history, this roast-and-grind workshop offers a compact, sensory-rich window into Mexico’s deep relationship with cacao and flavor.

The roughly three-hour schedule (typically 2:30–5:30 PM) fits neatly into an afternoon of exploring nearby mercados and plazas; combine the class with a walking tour of the barrio or a mezcal tasting across the street to make a full day. Many guests pair the experience with visits to nearby Mercado de Sonora or the Zócalo. The class emphasizes low-impact practices: Martaja sources local ingredients when possible, minimizes single-use plastics, and offers souvenir options like small-batch chocolate to take home, including tasting notes. Reservations are recommended due to the twelve-person cap.