The Chocolateria

February 15, 2006

Martha and Enrique opened the Chocolateria in Escazu, Costa Rica eleven years ago-one year after they moved to Costa Rica from the boat they lived on in the Jungle of Columbia- so that their daughter could grow up in a safe and tranquil environment. They immediately began their chocolate business because 1) as Enrique says, “Chocolate is special” 2) Martha likes to make chocolate 3) Martha is a damn good chocolate maker and 4) there is a lack of options for purchasing quality chocolate in Costa Rica. All of these four reasons culminate into 5) that there is a business opportunity for selling delectable chocolates in Costa Rica which they are qualified and excited to fulfill.



Martha either makes or oversees all of the chocolates made in the store. She has received no formal training as a chocolatier, but rather everything she knows about chocolate, she learned from her Columbian mother and her Columbian grandmother. Martha makes everything from three layer chocolate tortes to chili-chocolate truffles to hot chocolate beverages to cold chocolate and banana milkshakes to Bailey’s Irish Cream bon-bons.



Enrique does the ordering and the finances on a screen that has a picture of his daughter’s braying horse on it. Neither of them like sugary chocolate, both of them really like chocolate and both of them tend to get very animated when talking about their store and their chocolates.



They have pride in their business- and with absolute appropriateness- the tiny wooden store gets crowded quickly and the chocolate quality ranges from good to exceptional. Perhaps the greatest test of their success is that they both enjoy eating their own chocolates. Everyday Martha tests the chocolate for consistency. Luckily, the day that I met Martha the chocolate was not too sugary, so during the entire course of our thirty minute conversation she was eating all of the crumbs and half of one of their marshmallowy-nutty-white-milk and dark chocolate Rocky Road bar bowl. Our new store in Boston has much to learn from The Chocolateria– Martha and Enrique have done an excellent job capitalizing on the blazing heat and car honking of San Jose by providing the city with a chocolate-laced cozy, romantic shop tucked behind a palm-tree buffered gravel parking lot.