María Fernanda Di Giacobbe is the founder of Cacao de Origen, an organisation dedicated to educating, researching, and promoting Venezuelan cacao and chocolate.
ADVERTISEMENTBorn in Venezuela, a country known for its rich cacao history, María Fernanda Di Giacobbe says she has chocolate flowing through her veins. The renowned chef, chocolatier, and entrepreneur is leading a cacao revolution in her home country.
María's initiative, Cacao de Origen, has opened 56 schools in six states across Venezuela, offering chocolate-making workshops for cacao farmers, producers and enthusiasts.
The project also emphasises the importance of education, with each course running for five days. During the intense workshops, participants learn everything from farming and harvesting cacao seeds to making finished chocolate products.
Students are encouraged to experiment with flavours, sweetness, textures, and shapes. By the end of the course, they must submit a finished product that includes branding and professional packaging.
The course has produced many successful chocolate businesses and helped improve local cacao farming techniques. Several chocolate producers who attended the schools returned to teach specialised workshops and to display their products in the facility's shop.
María Fernanda Di Giacobbe tells SCENES that her aim with Cacao de Origen is to empower local communities and share knowledge. She wants to preserve Venezuela's rich chocolate heritage and plant seeds in the minds of the next generation of chocolate makers.
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