Cacao in the City

Trace cacao’s journey from its Latin American origins to the chocolate we know today through stories, history, and craft chocolate. About this Event From Neilson’s and Willards to Laura Secord, chocolate has a long history in Canada—but every cocoa bean used to make it begins its journey somewhere else. Where does cacao come from, and what stories travel with it before it becomes the chocolate we enjoy in Toronto? Cacao in the City traces cacao’s global-to-local journey, exploring its Latin American heritage, Indigenous knowledge systems, colonial trade, biodiversity, and the role of local producers in today’s craft chocolate movement. Join educator and researcher Dr. Juan Marcelo Gómez (NAHUA Canada), author of Decoding Cacao: From Ancient Traditions to Modern Craft Chocolate, for an evening of conversation, storytelling, and tasting. Along the way, sample a curated selection of Costa Rican craft chocolate while learning how cacao’s origins, fermentation, and production shape the flavours in every bar. About the Exhibition The T.O. You Don't Know invites visitors to look beyond familiar narratives and discover the hidden histories, overlooked voices, and unexpected stories that have shaped Toronto. Through photographs, artifacts, maps, and multimedia experiences, the exhibition reveals a city that is more complex, surprising, and diverse than many people realize. About the Museum Founded in 2015, Museum of Toronto is a growing City Museum dedicated to exploring and sharing the diverse histories of the city. Museum of Toronto’s exhibitions, content, and experiences aim to inspire curiosity and foster deeper connections to our collective histories. With exhibition space at 401 Richmond Street West, partnerships with institutions across the city and a growing digital library of Toronto histories, Museum of Toronto offers a wide range of programming that is accessible to all.