26 Best Things to Do in Mexico City, From Frida Kahlo's Home to Storied Pastry Shops | Condé Nast Traveler

"Indigenous to Mexico, cacao has been consumed in the country and played an important role in Mesoamerican societies since 19th BCE; La Rifa continues the tradition with a small roaster on-site. There are a handful of tables sprinkled in the tree-shaded plaza out front, optimal perches for spending an hour or two. Ask to see the production in the back and they will most likely give a tour. Mexico is proud of their chocolate heritage, and at La Rifa it shows. Locals, hippies, chocolate fans, and a few food tours stop here. The main event is sipping chocolates. The water-based chocolates are closest to how cacao was consumed, pre-Columbian, before the introduction of the Spanish (and thus cows and milk). The cacao also gets transformed into various fermented and “washed chocolates,” high-percentage single-origin bars, chocolate tamales, and cookies. La Rifa is a great place to pick up souvenirs for all of your friends back home." - Scarlett Lindeman