Many of the finest pieces of art from Mesoamerica can only be seen outside of the region, in museums and private collections of North America, Europe, and East Asia. Chocolate researchers Jose Lopez Ganem (Boston University), Dr. Carla D. Martin (Harvard University), and Dr. Kathryn Sampeck (University of Reading) of the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (FCCI) are on a mission to change this. Over the past year, the FCCI team has worked to secure the repatriation of more than 50 antique Mesoamerican pieces in collaboration with the governments of Mexico and Central America. In advance of the return of these pieces to their countries of origin, come view these examples of priceless cultural heritage, celebrate their significance to the history of cacao and chocolate, and taste traditional cacao and chocolate recipes.
Participate in an intimate, expert-led mini-tours of the archeological pieces recovered and curated by the FCCI. Tours will be facilitated by specialists in the fields of fine art, anthropology, and food studies. Meanwhile, enjoy a taste of traditional and contemporary cacao-based creations made by New York-based pastry chefs and chocolatiers paying homage to the cultural heritage of the Mesoamerican region.
Upon arrival, guests will be encouraged to sign up for a mini tour of the objects. Each 20-minute tour will be facilitated by a scholar, who will discuss the objects as a prompt for their particular angle of study, research, and activism.
Tours begin at 6 PM:
Traditional uses of cacao and chocolate in modern Mesoamerica led by Cameron McNeil
Admiring and studying aesthetics in ancient ceramics for chocolate led by Andrea Reed-Leal
Repatriation as a tool to protect indigenous food ways and intellectual property led by Jose Lopez Ganem
Contemporary issues in the cacao and chocolate supply chain: a call for reparations led by Carla D. Martin
About the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute:
A scholar-led research organization dedicated to reducing information asymmetry, promoting ethics, and ending inequality in the cacao and chocolate value chain through research and education.
About the Food Studies Program at Metropolitan College at Boston University
Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) connects motivated students from all walks of life to a world-class Boston University education through high-quality part-time programs—evenings on campus and 100% online. The Met College's Food Studies program is a leading program offering graduate and continuing education that blends cross-pollinated academic perspectives that helps develop a comprehensive understanding of society and food throughout history, borders, and communities.
Carla D. Martin, PhD
President of the Board, Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (FCCI)
Professor and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies, AAAS, Harvard University
Carla D. Martin is the Founder and Board President of the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute and Deputy Director of Undergraduate Studies and Professor at the Department of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. Her work as a socially engaged anthropologist is currently focused on the ethics of labor in cacao and chocolate, and before that on the politics of language and music in Cabo Verde and its diaspora. She lectures widely and has taught extensively in African and African American Studies, critical food studies, social anthropology, and ethnomusicology, and has received numerous awards in recognition of excellence in teaching and research. Additionally, she founded and continues to collaborate with the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to reducing inequality and information asymmetry throughout the cacao and chocolate value chain.
Cameron L. McNeil, PhD
Associate Professor, Anthropology, Lehman College and City University of New York Graduate Center
Cameron L. McNeil is an Associate Professor in Anthropology at Lehman College, and the Graduate Center, CUNY. She has worked in the Copán Valley in Honduras for over twenty years investigating ancient ritual plant use and human-environmental interactions. McNeil is editor of the seminar book “Chocolate in Mesoamerica: A Cultural History of Cacao” (2006). Since 2011, McNeil has directed the Proyecto Arqueológico Río Amarillo, Copán (PARAC), in the borders of Guatemala and Honduras.
Jose Lopez Ganem
Executive Director, Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (FCCI)
Lecturer and Outreach Coordinator, Food Studies Programs, Boston University
José López Ganem is an academic and nonprofit professional conducting interdisciplinary research drawing on the fields of food, history, culture, public policy, trade, and sensory analysis. He is currently the executive director of the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (FCCI) and a lecturer and outreach coordinator at Boston University's Food Studies Programs. His professional experience includes work in cultural ambassadorship for Mexico and Mesoamerica, as well as an engaged period in the food industry in New York City. He concluded his business administration studies at Culinary Institute of America in 2018 and received a master's in food studies at Boston University’s Metropolitan College in 2022.
Andrea Reed-Leal
PhD Candidate, Division of the Humanities, Romance Languages and Literature, University of Chicago
Andrea is a PhD candidate in the Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Studies program at the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on the circulation of ideas, female intellectuality, and diverse textual technologies in colonial Latin America. Recently, she has been investigating the cultural significance of cacao brewing in Mesoamerican cultures leading up to the colonial period. In her latest publication, Cerámica para el chocolate (2024), Andrea examines the intricate relationship between the ancient practice of cacao consumption and the creation of clay vessels by the Maya during the Classic period. Her work emphasizes the deep connections between humans and their material environment. This research has taken her to Guatemala, where she has engaged with archival materials and collaborated with contemporary chocolate makers.
You can find out more about her research and other projects on her webpage.