I just realised this morning that I hadn’t finished sharing posts on my trip exploring the history of chocolate through Spain. I left you high in the mountains in Sotres, siping hot chocolate and eating Cabrales cheese. I know that isn’t a terrible place to be left, but it has been far too long and it is about time I finish telling you about this chocolate fuelled trip that dates back to pre COVID years (remember those?). From Sotres we drove to Astorga, 277km away. Park in one of the parking lots located around the outside of the historic centre and then make a short walk up the hill to reach the pedestrian area.
My reason for visiting Astorga was simple; it is one of the first European cities that tasted chocolate. When cocoa shipments started arriving into Spain (the first European country to start enjoying chocolate), a chocolate industry quickly grew during the XIX century here. Given its location next to a still today popular pilgrim path Camino de Santiago, its chocolate soon spread. The first chocolate factory opened here in 1580 and by 1914 there were 49 chocolate factories in the city making it one of the main chocolate producers in Spain, along with Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. Today there are are far fewer, but there is still a lot of historic chocolate to be had. Penin Chocolatier, Chocolates Santocildes, Chocolateria Sunrises and Felicity Cloake are all chocolate shops worth visiting, many of which have hot chocolates using traditional recipes based on Astorga chocolate.
After making the rounds, and with limited time on our hand, we decided to spend most of it at La Cepedana. La Cepedana was the first chocolate factory in the region and three generations in this family have been making chocolate. When the third generation retired, the company was passed on to two workers who had been with the company for many years who continue the store’s legacy.
Plan to spent extra time here to visit their Interpretation Center for Chocolate. It provides a history lesson on chocolate in Astorga with a range of historic chocolate making machines. It is an incredible museum of labels, advertisements, chocolate serving vessels and all things chocolate. Order their thick hot chocolate and either sit in the front where you can hear the locals gossip and ask them any chocolate related question you might have (and get plenty of answers), or sit in the museum section and admire the displays as you sip.
La Cepedana is located on Calle Padres Redentoristas 16 and is open everyday from 6am to 9pm (with a break between 2 and 4 for a much needed siesta).
