‘CHOCOLATE COMES: FAMILIAL TRADE FOUNDED IN 1870!

Chocolate Comes is a chocolate museum, factory and shop located in the city of Sueca, just a 30-minute train ride from the centre of Valencia. The COMES family have been dedicated to chocolate-making since 1870 and have been distinguished by the Valencian Generalitat with the title, Qualification of “Artisanal Chocolatiers”. If you have a sweet tooth and are looking for a new and unique day out in the region of Valencia, this is the experience for you!

Journey through the origins of chocolate, learning about its interesting history and arrival in Europe. When first encountered by Spanish discoverers, chocolate was known as “Tchocoathl” and was considered the drink of Gods. The Aztec Indians believed cocoa seeds were “Quetzalcóatl” and prepared a cold beverage from the fruit of the cocoa bean- a bitter, frothy liquid mixed with spices, wine, or mashed corn. From the Mayans and the Aztecs to consumers all around the world, the universal food product has a long history before it became the ‘chocolate’ we all know and love today.

Chocolate Comes offer guided visits of the museum that last approximately an hour and are the best way to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of cocoa whilst treating your palette to the freshly made stone chocolate! The tour begins on the ground floor where visitors are invited to watch projections of a documentary in their desired language. The short film introduces us to the world of cocoa and explains the production of chocolate with reference to the cocoa tree, the equatorial plant. The process begins with a fire of orange tree wood that produces a special aroma within. The cocoa beans are roasted until mature and then mashed in the tray to extract their husk before being introduced into a hot mill to produce the dough. Embers are placed below on special grinding stones to heat them and the fat the beans release is what produces the cocoa paste. With the addition of cane sugar, rice flour and vanilla, these ingredients are mixed by hand to produce the chocolate!

Visitors are also given the opportunity to sample their cocoa and gifted with a cocoa bean that is known to bring good luck. The tour continues upstairs with the vast collection of equipment needed to elaborate the chocolate including the cocoa roaster, the shelling machine, the sugar and cocoa grinder, the mixer, and the chocolate bar-making machine. There are over 2,000 tools in glass cabinets, as well as a library with a selection of books on the world of cocoa and chocolate. You can also find a scale model of a falla dedicated to the discovery of cocoa.

Your visit is not complete until you’ve checked out the museum’s little shop where visitors can taste and purchase the products. They sell all kinds of chocolate, as well as chocolate liquors, honeys, soaps and candles! The traditional Bollet is a customer favourite that only costs 1,10€ and can be purchased normal or with a cinnamon variation.

Entry costs only 3€ but you must book your guided tour online, especially if you require an English speaker as this can be arranged with fore warning. Discover the secrets of cocoa and chocolate, as well as the history of this endearing factory and don’t forget to take home chocolate souvenirs to sustain yourself on the journey back home!

Report by Imogen Hockings

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

Photo copyright Imogen Hockings/ ’24/7 Valencia’

https://chocolatescomes.com/?lang=en

Address:

Sant Josep, 29

46410 SUECA (Valencia)

Tlf: 96 170 19 42

Email: info@chocolatecomes.com

Opening hours:

Mondays to Fridays: 10:30h-13:30h & 16:00h-20:00h

Saturdays: 11:00h-14:00h & 17:00h-20:00h