When you mention the word "chocolate," Switzerland or Belgium is usually what comes to mind. But what most people don't know is that this delicacy originated in Central America and that it was first enjoyed as a spicy beverage, rather than a sweet confection.

On the tour and tasting at SIBÚ Chocolate, guests embark on a fascinating journey through the history of cacao, from its origins as a sacred food of the gods to its use as a regional currency up to the 19th Century. Find out how Europe transformed chocolate into the bars and bonbons we all enjoy today, and learn about the rebirth of chocolate as an artisan treat, packed with antioxidants.

Born in December, 2007, SIBÚ Chocolate became the first fine chocolate maker to use 100% organic Costa Rican cacao. During the visit, guests will savor SIBU's gourmet truffles, caramel and pure dark chocolate tasting squares (wine pairings available), while kids are invited to make their own chocolate treats, as well as learn about how cacao is grown and the indigenous cosmology surrounding it.  SIBU chocolate comes from a small farm on Costa Rica's Caribbean slope, where beans are grown and fermented under consistent conditions to help achieve greater purity in flavor and better overall quality.

Owners and Master Chocolatiers, Julio Fernandez and George Soriano welcome their guests and show them how to taste the nuances in chocolate by using all the senses. They will also share their experience in launching an artisan chocolate business in Costa Rica, building it "one spatula at a time". Environmentalists at heart, the two also discuss the social and environmental importance of the cacao crop to Costa Rica and the region.

Enjoy the chance to step off the traditional tourist route and glimpse a true cottage industry at SIBU Chocolate. Watch local artisans temper chocolate on a marble slab and decorate bonbons by hand at a small workshop and café set just outside the cloud forests of Braulio Carrillo National Park—20 minutes from downtown San José. Overlooking the mountains of Costa Rica's Central Valley, the workshop/café is a peaceful place from which all SIBU confections and bars are made with special care. Guests are treated like family and can walk freely through organic gardens of predominantly native plant species on the property.

At Café SIBÚ Chocolate, they believe that the best meals are prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients that speak to the place where they are grown and enjoyed. The lunch menus are inspired by local cuisine with a twist that makes them a bit more interesting to the palate but true to their origin. They'll be happy to tailor menus for private groups.

• Soup: Tomato based tortilla soup
• Salad: Organic green salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
• Main Course: Vegetarian enchiladas
• Dessert: SIBU chocolate cookies
• Fresh-squeezed lemonade
• Hibiscus flower iced tea with a touch of fresh ginger
• Coffee or tea.

Tasting: $55.00
Tasting & lunch: $70.00

- MINIMUM 4 PERSONS
- RATES INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION FROM SAN JOSE AREA HOTELS

**** CHILDREN'S POLICY

Sibu Chocolate provides special hands-on activities for children age 6 and older and does not recommend its tastings activity for children less than 6 years old.