Educator Package: Includes educational resources, interactive project ideas, trip organization, direct experiential opportunities to help better connect the experience with your students and complimentary chaperone ticket. Does not include student ticket.
Student Package: Includes engaging pre and post educational visit activities, trip organization and student ticket.
Chocolate Factory Tour
Embark on a guided tour of Dandelion Chocolate's historic 16th Street bean-to-bar factory, where students observe the complete chocolate-making process from cacao bean to finished chocolate. Led by an experienced Chocolate Educator, students explore the production line while learning about the history of chocolate, ethical cacao sourcing, sustainable agriculture, and the craftsmanship behind small-batch chocolate making. Along the way, they discover how specialized equipment and carefully controlled processes, including roasting, cracking, winnowing, grinding, refining, and tempering, work together to transform raw cacao into chocolate. Depending on the production schedule, students may also observe chocolate-making equipment in operation and gain firsthand insight into modern manufacturing and food production.
Desserted Chocolate Factory Tour
When all of the chocolate makers have gone home, the factory is mostly quiet with just a bit of humming coming from overnight machines. Join a member of our team at this time when we have the freedom to roam and learn about chocolate in an intimate group. End the tour with a demonstration by a chef!
Please Note: Portions of the factory may be noisy during operating hours. Earplugs are available upon request.
Step inside Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco and discover the fascinating journey of chocolate! From tropical cacao farms around the world to handcrafted bean-to-bar chocolate made in small batches. Students will explore the science, history, geography, and craftsmanship behind chocolate while learning how fermentation, roasting, grinding, and tempering influence flavor. Through guided exploration and chocolate tasting, they'll compare cacao from different regions, discover how climate and growing conditions shape flavor, and gain a deeper appreciation for sustainable farming and ethical sourcing. Dandelion Chocolate transforms one of the world's favorite treats into an engaging, hands-on educational experience.
Highlights
Explore Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Making: Follow the journey of cacao beans as they're transformed into handcrafted chocolate through roasting, cracking, winnowing, grinding, tempering, and molding.
Travel the World Through Chocolate: Discover where cacao is grown and explore the geography, climate, and cultures of cacao-producing regions across Central America, South America, Africa, and Asia.
Taste Like a Chocolate Expert: Learn how to identify flavor notes, compare chocolate made from different cacao origins, and understand how processing influences taste.
Discover the Science Behind Chocolate: Explore chemistry, heat transfer, crystallization, fermentation, and food science through the chocolate-making process.
Learn About Sustainability: Gain an understanding of ethical sourcing, fair trade practices, environmental stewardship, and the importance of supporting farming communities.
Specially Designed for Students
Hands-On Discovery
Students observe authentic bean-to-bar chocolate production while exploring the science, engineering, and craftsmanship behind every step of the process.
Interactive Learning
Engage your senses through guided chocolate tastings, ask questions of experienced chocolate makers, and discover how science, geography, agriculture, and culture all influence the foods we enjoy.
Cross-Curricular Learning
Science: Plant biology, fermentation, chemistry, heat transfer, crystallization, and food science
Geography: Tropical climates, global agriculture, trade routes, and cacao-producing regions
History: The origins of cacao, Indigenous cultures, global trade, and the history of chocolate
Economics: Ethical sourcing, sustainable farming, global markets, and entrepreneurship
STEM: Manufacturing processes, engineering, quality control, observation, and scientific analysis
Social Studies: Cultural traditions, global citizenship, responsible consumer choices, and environmental stewardship
An Unforgettable Experience
Dandelion Chocolate offers students a unique opportunity to connect science, history, geography, and sustainability through one of the world's most fascinating foods. By following the complete bean-to-bar journey and experiencing chocolate through observation, discussion, and tasting, students gain a deeper appreciation for the people, processes, and scientific principles behind every chocolate bar. It's an engaging educational adventure that inspires curiosity, encourages thoughtful consumption, and demonstrates how craftsmanship, innovation, and global connections come together in every bite.
