The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh presents "Chocolate Making: From Bean to Bar" Wednesday, July 15, at 7 p.m.

Discover the secret of making great chocolate with Hallot Parson, co-owner and chocolate maker at Escazu Artisan Chocolates.

Sample chocolate made from several varieties of bean sourced from Costa Rica and Venezuela. Lecture tickets can be purchased at www.naturalsciences.org.

Escazu Artisan Chocolates is a small, independently owned company founded in 2003 in Beaufort, and now located on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. The founders, Hallot Parson and Robert Henkens, share a passion for creating handcrafted, all-natural chocolates enhanced with Latin American ingredients.

The name is taken from the town of Escazu, in Costa Rica, which served as their inspiration. Parson, the chocolatier and chocolate maker, comes from a background as a chef at restaurants in New York, Aspen and Dallas. Tickets are $10 ($8 for Friends) per lecture. Purchase tickets by calling (919) 733-7450, extension 212. For additional information, contact Elizabeth Iaquinta at (919) 733-7450, extension 352.

This is the second of three lectures held in conjunction with the Museum's current special exhibit, "Chocolate," which runs through Sept. 7.

"Chocolate" explores the plant, the products and the culture of chocolate through the lenses of science and history. The exhibit is open 6 to 7 p.m. the night of the lecture.

Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors (age 65+) and students (with ID), $4 for children (age 5-11).