Chocolate producers in Quintana Roo are promoting a strategy to position their product as a distinctive culinary symbol of the Mexican Caribbean, capitalizing on tourism growth and the increasing interest in consuming local products with regional identity.
The goal is to expand the presence of Quintana Roo-made chocolate in hotels, airports, shops, and tourist establishments, so that both domestic and international visitors recognize Quintana Roo cacao as part of the state’s culinary offerings.
According to local producers, this effort also aims to strengthen the cacao production chain by working with Mayan cooperatives in the southern part of the state, which supply the raw material and other regional ingredients such as coconut, pitahaya, and habanero peppers, generating economic opportunities for rural communities.
In addition to boosting sales, the strategy has contributed to the revival of cacao cultivation in Quintana Roo. In just over a decade, the planted area has grown from a few dozen trees in the community of Cacao to more than 11 hectares of production, representing a significant advance in the preservation of this agricultural activity with Mayan roots.
As part of the market expansion, a new line of chocolates and ice creams made with Quintana Roo cacao was recently launched in Cancún, with the aim of expanding sales outlets and making these products more accessible to both residents and visitors.
Among the initiatives driving this goal is Mazorca Negra, a company that has been producing chocolate with Quintana Roo cacao for over 10 years and collaborates with cooperatives in the southern part of the state. Its growth is part of an effort to increase the presence of local products in the Mexican Caribbean’s tourism offerings.
Currently, their products are already being sold in various tourist spots in Chetumal, Bacalar, Mahahual, the Cancun International Airport and various hotels in the Riviera Maya and recently expanded their presence in Cancun, as part of the push to give greater visibility to Quintana Roo cocoa.
Source: quintanaroo.quadratin
