Mark J. Sciscenti, a native of Santa Fe, NM, is a chocolate historian, artisan chocolatier and pastry chef, passionate about fine chocolate. He has also been baking since 1984, and as a professional pastry chef since 1991. Also he has been actively studying and working with chocolate since 1999 and has been giving lectures and chocolate tastings around the US since 2002.
In1999 Mark began researching and recreating historically authentic drinking chocolate recipes representative of the drinking chocolates of Mesoamerica, the historic European period, and through the Colonial Spanish and Colonial New Mexican periods. In 2005, Mark was the sole founder of Kakawa Chocolate House in Santa Fe and was the owner until 2009.
In 2016 Mark joined the team at Cacao Santa Fe, and with good friends Derek and Melanie is now creating and offering his chocolate elixirs, pastries, and special baked goods to the good people of Santa Fe's midtown district.
Mark's many interests include culinary history, ecology, spiritual ecology, sustainability, bioregionalism, gardening and herbalism.
Mark also leads Chocolate History classes and Ceremonies at Cacao Santa Fe, which can be found on the events calendar.