Frida Kahlo-Inspired Collage and Mexican Cacao Workshop

My journey with cacao began in Mexico, where cacao is much more than an ingredient: it carries history, culture, memory and a profound relationship with the land. After working in hospitality and running three restaurants in Mexico City, I moved to Australia, where I founded Frido Cacao as a way of sharing Mexican cacao with greater cultural depth and respect.A pivotal moment in this journey was meeting Abuelo Efrén, a respected elder from the Yokot’an community in Tabasco. Learning from him transformed my understanding of cacao. I realised that cacao should not simply be presented as another wellness trend, but as a living tradition connected to Indigenous knowledge, agriculture, community and everyday ritual. This understanding continues to guide everything I teach.I love teaching because a workshop can become much more than a class. It can be a space where people slow down, become curious, ask meaningful questions and connect with one another. My approach combines storytelling, sensory experience and participation. Depending on the workshop, we may explore the history of cacao, prepare it traditionally with water and a wooden molinillo, taste different expressions of Mexican cacao, or connect the experience with astrology, creativity and personal reflection.Over the past decade, I have also worked professionally as an astrologer, facilitator and educator. I have delivered talks, tastings and workshops in museums, embassies, schools, festivals, wellness spaces and community venues across Mexico, Australia and the United Kingdom. One of Frido’s most significant projects was participating in Frida Kahlo: The Life of an Icon in Sydney, where we created a Mexican cacao experience for an international audience. More recently, I have presented cacao education at cultural and wellness events across London.Something people may not expect is that cacao was traditionally consumed as a drink long before it became the sweet chocolate bar most of us know today. Through Frido, I invite people to rediscover cacao in this earlier form—not by pretending to recreate the past, but by creating a respectful bridge between ancestral knowledge and contemporary life.My workshops are warm, accessible and educational. You do not need any previous knowledge, only curiosity and a willingness to participate. My intention is that everyone leaves having tasted something beautiful, learned something meaningful and developed a deeper relationship with cacao and the culture from which it comes.