If you find yourself in Colorado for any amount of time, you quickly learn to pay attention to the seasons. Vivid, dramatic, and nearly always bathed in sunshine, each one carries its own beauty. This fall of 2025 has been especially remarkable: crisp air, bright skies, and cool nights that create the perfect conditions for the Pueblo chile we’re celebrating at Moksha Chocolate.
Meatier and thicker-skinned than the renowned Hatch chiles from New Mexico, Pueblo chiles are perfect for roasting. They caramelize beautifully and develop a rich, smoky depth with a touch more heat. So naturally, we thought: why not pair them with chocolate?
Moksha Chocolate Makes a Colorado Match
How did we, as Boulder-based chocolate makers, end up creating a green chile dark chocolate bar that redefines the fall flavor experience? Colorado cuisine is full of creative energy, always exploring artisanal and healthy interpretations of traditional favorites. Our Front Range food culture reflects both a pioneering spirit and a devotion to local ingredients. Among them, Colorado green chile stands out as our signature flavor inspiration.
Chile and Chocolate: An Ancient Pairing
Why mix chile with chocolate? The answer goes back thousands of years. The ancient Mayans were blending cacao with spice as early as 400 CE, sipping ceremonial cacao drinks infused with chiles to celebrate and energize. Even earlier, traces of theobromine, cacao’s natural stimulant, have been found in Olmec pottery dating to 1600 BCE.
Chiles and cacao share deep Mesoamerican roots, and together they create a flavor harmony worth honoring. Our green chile dark chocolate bar is medium spicy, with an herbal tingle that perfectly complements the Zorzal 70% dark chocolate base, a rich, caramel-forward cacao with a gentle salty finish. Both chile and cacao are technically fruits, which makes this pairing a natural one.
Left: Cylindrical vessel, 6th–9th century. Maya. Guatemala or Mexico, Mesoamerica. Ceramic; H. 7 7/8 x Diam. 6 1/4 in. (18.1 x 15.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Anonymous Gift, 2005 (2005.435). Right: Vessel with seated lord, 7th–8th century. Maya. Mexico, Mesoamerica. Ceramic, stucco; H. 9 1/2 x Diam. 7 3/8 in. (24.1 x 18.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1992 (1992.4)
The Pueblo Chile: A Colorado Original
Cultivated in Pueblo since the 1840s, the Pueblo chile has been shaped by generations of farmers who understood the Arkansas River Valley’s sandy soil and dry climate. In recent decades, horticulturists have refined the variety, most notably Dr. Mark Bartolo of Colorado State University, who developed the Mosco green chile for its thick skin and exceptional juiciness.
Carla Houghton of Mauro Farm and Bakery in Pueblo, Colorado, describes the Mosco as resilient and versatile. “We had a big hailstorm in 2000 and the field just looked like sticks,” she recalls. “But those chile plants grew right back, and we were able to harvest well that year.” Her bakery now sells green chile candy alongside her family’s traditional potica pastry, a Slovenian recipe dating back to 1967. It’s a delicious example of the cultural and culinary fusion that makes Pueblo a true Colorado gem.
From the high desert fields of Pueblo to our small-batch studio in Boulder, Moksha’s Pueblo Chile Dark Chocolate captures the bold spirit of Colorado in every bite. Handcrafted bean-to-bar with ethically sourced cacao, it’s a sensory celebration of spice, sweetness, and local flavor.
Experience the taste of Colorado. Explore our collection of artisan bean-to-bar chocolates at MokshaChocolate.com.
