Discover the deep cultural roots of chocolate in Mesoamerica, beginning with its earliest appearance among the Olmec around 1500 BCE. Offered through North Central College, this program explores how the classic-era Maya (200–900 CE) wove cacao into their art, economy, healing practices, mythology, and ritual life.
Contemporary K’iche’ Maya chocolatiers Mirna Rojas de Quijivix and César Quijivix Morales will trace the path of cacao from antiquity to today, with a special focus on the traditional practices that resisted Spanish appropriation through seven centuries. Participants will gain a richer understanding of chocolate as a living, ancestral practice.
A 15-minute Q&A discussion will follow the presentation.
This program is included with Arboretum general admission.
Instructors: César Geovanni Quijivix Morales, director of design, Doña Pancha Chocolate; Mirna Rojas, founder, Chocolate Doña Pancha
Age: 16 and older
Course number: E109
Instructors
César Geovanni Quijivix Morales, director of design, Doña Pancha Chocolate
César Geovanni Quijivix Morales grew up helping his grandmother and family make artisanal chocolate, sparking a passion for chocolate production at a very young age. After completing university studies in graphic design and advertising, he began working as a graphic designer, developing the brand and visual identity of Chocolate Doña Pancha. During this time, he also began training in cacao and chocolate making. As director of design at Chocolate Doña Pancha, Morales conducted research for the creation of the Doña Pancha Chocolate Museum, which opened in 2022. Through his roles with the museum and with Doña Pancha Chocolate, he contributes to the preservation and dissemination of cultural knowledge about cacao and chocolate in Guatemala and helps raise consumer awareness of the positive impact of chocolate made from high-quality Guatemalan cacao.
Mirna Rojas, founder, Chocolate Doña Pancha
Mirna Rojas is the founder of Chocolate Doña Pancha, an Indigenous-owned chocolate shop in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, named in honor of her grandmother. Coming from a long line of female chocolatiers, Rojas recognized the potential of chocolate to be both a cultural heritage and a formal business. After studying business at Rafael Landivar University, she developed recipes for chocolates and opened Doña Pancha, a unique blend of a candy store, café, museum, and art gallery. Since 2013, she has worked with Enactus NCC to bring her products to the U.S. market, supporting her vision of employing K’iche’ women and connecting global consumers with a 3,400-year-old cacao tradition.
What to Know
This program meets indoors.
This program is included with Arboretum general admission and free for Arboretum members.
Participants are encouraged to register online in advance, as space is limited.
Program Schedule
Sunday, February 1, 2026, 11:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Cudahy Room, Administration and Research Center (parking lot P-1), East Side
