An indigenous woman shakes a winnowing bowl, tossing crushed cacao beans into the air, in artisanal chocolate manufacture in Xochistlahuaca, Mexico.

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An Amuzgo indigenous woman shakes a winnowing bowl, tossing the crushed cacao beans into the air and catching them as they fall back to separate lighter outer shells from the cacao seeds, in artisanal chocolate manufacture in Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero, Mexico, 5 November 2021. The craft of chocolate making in Mesoamerica, where the cacao tree is native, may be traced back to pre-Hispanic times. The form of how the Olmecs, the Mayas, and then the Aztecs used to process cacao beans and drink a cacao beverage has not changed significantly. In the rural areas of Southern Mexico, the indigenous communities still maintain, with a minimal contribution of the modern era’s tools, the ancient tradition of hand-crafted chocolate alive.

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Size: 5316px × 3544px
Location: Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero, Mexico
Photo credit: © Jan Sochor / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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