Sinanché, Yucatán, (June 4, 2021) .- The tradition of making homemade chocolate tablets has been a practice for Mrs. Rosa Alberta Ayala Villanueva and her family for more than 50 years, thanks to the knowledge she obtained from her mother, from whom she learned the method to prepare chocolate in such a way that they have won the hearts and tastes of many Yucatecans from different municipalities across the state, where the product is sold successfully.
Doña Rosa, her husband Wilbert Fernando Sánchez Osunza as well as her son Wilbert Fernando Sánchez Ayala, who are also part of the production and sale team of the homemade sweet, have worked hard enduring the pandemic to ensure that their livelihood persists despite the difficulties that It has brought with it the health emergency.
“Doña Rosa sells the chocolate tablets for orders that arrive from Yobaín, Motul, and even from stores in Mérida where they sell handicrafts”, says Wilbert Fernando Jr., who is in charge of sales and a large part of the production of this old family business.
Doña Rosa Alberta also commented that since she was 8 years old she learned the method of preparation from her mother, who with care and love prepared the chocolate to sell it in Sinanché or nearby towns, so she decided to continue with the business in which up to 900 tablets can be produced in the peak season and up to 500 in the low season.
“These tablets do not contain sugar, so you can add sweeteners, either artificial or natural. In fact, it is recommended for diabetics for the same reason. We do the roasting in the back of the house, then we mix it with flour and add cinnamon to improve its flavor. One must know when and how to clap the chocolate because in the hot weather of the Yucatan, if it is not done properly, it will not be hard and it will easily melt”, explained Rosa Alberta.
Doña Rosa, in addition to dedicating herself to the elaboration of handmade chocolate tablets, weaves hammocks in her free time too.
—My granddaughters have a waiting list because every time I finish weaving a hammock, they ask me to make another one for them. I always find the time because I am never in a hurry, in five months I can finish a large hammock. But most of my time is dedicated to the production of our homemade chocolate bars.