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The Northwest Chocolate Festival 2026
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Unlocking the Cacao and Chile Connection for Modern Cooks and Chocolate Makers
Sunday October 4, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Cacao Stage
Long before cinnamon and cane sugar became the default, Mesoamerican cooks engineered a botanical masterpiece: the marriage of cacao and capsicums.
Moving beyond the modern novelty of "spicy chocolate," this session delves into the neurogastronomy and historical foodways of this ancient pairing. Attendees will discover the biological brilliance behind the union and extract structural lessons from ancestral Maya drinks, Mexican moles, regional savory recipes, and Spanish interpretations.
Transitioning to contemporary applications, the presentation offers actionable techniques for cooks, chefs, and craft chocolate makers. We will discuss cultivar layering, such as blending the zero-heat musky notes of ají dulce with a fraction of habanero to capture immense Capsicum chinense flavor without masking fine cacao.
Finally, the session covers the mechanics of small-batch bean-to-bar production for flawless, perfectly dispersed capsicum heat in chocolate.
The session concludes with a visual exploration of diverse capsicum profiles—mapping distinct species characteristics and their ideal botanical pairings with specific regional cacaos.



Speakers
avatar for Dr. Maricel E. Presilla

Dr. Maricel E. Presilla

president, Gran Cacao Americas
Dr. Maricel E. Presilla is a James Beard award-winning author, culinary historian, and
cultural anthropologist specializing in Latin American cuisine, cacao, and chocolate.
With a Ph.D. in history from New York University, she bridges academic rigor with
culinary creativity, designi... Read More →
Sunday October 4, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Cacao Stage
  Room # 406

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