The Aragonese capital boasts an extensive historical legacy and a great cultural heritage that goes back centuries in the past. Something that is evident when walking through its streets, full of buildings, monuments and historical remains. But also in the uses and customs, and in the traditions that the people of the place preserve and protect as a unique heritage that is transmitted from generation to generation.

One of those traditions is the enjoyment of chocolate; Zaragoza was the first city on the Old Continent to discover the benefits of cocoa, one of the discoveries that explorers brought from the new world. The story goes that Fray Jerónimo Aguilar, a member of Vasco Núñez de Balboa's expedition to Mexico, discovered the chocolate drink in the Yucatan Peninsula after the shipwreck of his ship and, once rescued by Hernán Cortés, sent the abbot of the Monastery de Piedra in Calatayud, Fray Antonio de Alvarado, the first chocolate jícaras for him to cook. The year was 1534 and chocolate, at that time still prepared exclusively as a drink, had come to Europe to stay.

That first Fray Antonio recipe started a tradition that, almost five hundred years later, is of great importance in the city. Delighted with this new flavor, the people of Zaragoza came more and more frequently to visit the Cistercian monks who guarded the valuable recipe. Over time, Zaragoza would become an obligatory place of pilgrimage for all chocolate lovers, and it still is today.

In fact, the Monasterio de Piedra today houses a Chocolate Museum, where you can take a journey through the history of this delicious food while visiting the same kitchen in which, for the first time, this chocolate was prepared. Atlantic side. Of course, it is not the only place dedicated to chocolate in the city: there are countless chocolate shops, pastry shops, shops and other establishments that offer endless different ways to enjoy this delicacy.

Therefore, getting lost in Zaragoza looking for new chocolate experiences is always a great plan. Those who sign up cannot fail to buy their Chocopass at the Tourist Offices, a voucher that allows you to savor five specialties to choose from among more than 20 collaborating establishments.

Come and discover the sweetest side of Zaragoza!