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María Fernanda Di Giacobbe
Chocolatier
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Venezuelan cacao, in the practice of María Fernanda Di Giacobbe, is handled as crop, material, identity marker, and economic instrument. The chocolate work keeps grower, maker, and consumer in the same frame, with flavor read through place rather than separated from it.
The Making
Gastronomic training at Universidad Central de Venezuela gave the formal base before the work moved into independent food businesses. In Caracas, La Paninoteka, founded by María Fernanda Di Giacobbe in 1990 and operated until 2002, provided the first extended practice in hospitality and food production. Venezuelan cacao became the primary raw material with Kakao Bombones Venezolanos, founded in 2004 by María Fernanda Di Giacobbe. The work put national cacao into a chocolate format and commercial structure. In 2013, Cacao de Origen extended that practice into cacao research, origin, and the crop’s wider value for communities and economic growth.
The Current Chapter
Chocolate in Caracas remains the working field through Kakao Bombones Venezolanos and Cacao de Origen. The practice María Fernanda Di Giacobbe has built crosses chocolatier work, entrepreneurship, research, and authorship, with Venezuelan cacao serving as the organizing material rather than a supporting ingredient. The contribution is not only product-facing. By treating cacao as a field of study and a national resource, the work keeps attention on Venezuelan cacao’s flavor, provenance, and place inside local economic structures.
Accolades
Recognition has attached to the cacao practice rather than to a single venue or dish. The Basque Culinary World Prize, received by María Fernanda Di Giacobbe in 2016, acknowledged the social and culinary reach of the work. The Gran Tenedor de Oro, received in 2015, further marked the role of Venezuelan cacao and its potential beyond confectionery alone.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of María
What is María Fernanda Di Giacobbe's day job?
María Fernanda Di Giacobbe is Chocolatier and Founder of Kakao Bombones.
Where did María Fernanda Di Giacobbe train or study?
María Fernanda Di Giacobbe trained at Universidad Central de Venezuela.
What recognition has María Fernanda Di Giacobbe received?
Basque Culinary World Prize (2016).
