A Peek Inside Jacques Torres’ New York City Chocolate Museum

New York City is home to some of the world’s most famous museums. Now, it’s added one of the most delicious to its cultural roster, with the opening of Choco-Story New York: The Chocolate Museum and Experience with Jacques Torres. It's the brainchild of legendary chocolatier Jacques Torres and Eddy Van Belle, a chocolate lover who has opened four other Choco-Story museums around the world — the Big Apple edition is located at Torres’ popular SoHo shop on Hudson Street. And while there’s plenty of chocolate to be tasted, the museum is dedicated to teaching its sweet-toothed visitors how their favorite treat made the journey from bean to bar.

A range of ancient Mayan and Aztec artifacts, some dating all the way back to 250 BC, helps illustrate the history of the cacao bean, from initial cultivation to modern-day consumption (for a long time, chocolate was solely in the culinary domain of gods and nobility, which seems only right). Don’t worry — there’s plenty of time for tasting, too; visitors can sample of range of premium chocolates, including blend and single origin chocolates in white, milk and dark varieties; fresh, hand-ground Mayan hot chocolate; and handmade chocolate truffles. The museum offers chocolate bar-making classes to its visitors and is an all-ages, totally hands-on experience.

“I’m so passionate about all things chocolate that I can think of nothing better than having the opportunity to share my knowledge and its history,” Torres said in a press release of the impetus for the museum.

Ready to stop reading and start eating? Choco-Story New York is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00am to 5:00pm and you can purchase your tickets ahead of time through the website. Feel free to show your thanks by sending any leftover chocolates our way.