Chocolate Cities – Chocoholics, get together!
Yes, ladies! You and only you! For thousands of years now, the world has been smitten by chocolates and there are places all over the world that can be called ‘Chocolate Heavens.’
The almost orgasmic experience of having your favourite chocolate is irreplaceable. The word is derived from ‘xocolatl’ of Mexico origins and has been linked to fertility. It is considered one of the best aphrodisiac foods in the world.
That’s one more reason to explore the following Chocolate Cities that are known to produce the best chocolates in the world.
Here goes our list of Chocolate Cities!
Chocolate Cities –
Brussels, Belgium
A truly a chocolate city, Belgium has chocolate written all over it. From chocolate factories to museums, you can’t get enough of the dark sinful aphrodisiac here. It has more than 2,000 shops that sell all kinds of chocolates. Two of the biggest chocolate companies in the world, Godiva and Leonidas, have their headquarters in this city. Try pralines, Isabelle (dark chocolate filled with pistachio marzipan) and Leslie (fresh cream with candied pineapple and dark chocolate). Make sure you visit Musee du Cocao et du Chocolate while in Brussels where you can learn how to make chocolates. Wittamer, Pierre Marcolini, Neuhaus, Godiva, Leonidas, Zaabar and Mary are some of the best shops to buy chocolates in the chocolate capital of the world.
Zurich, Switzerland
Home to most of the world-renowned chocolate makers like Cailler-Nestle, Toblerone, Lindt, Treuscher and Sprungli, Zurich consumes more chocolate per person that any other place in the world. Hop on the The Swiss Chocolate Train for a tour to Gruyeres (where Gruyere cheese is made) and Broc, where you can visit the Cailler-Nestle factory. Indulge all your senses with a generous sampling of chocolates combined with champagne and other drinks. Truffe, Schrober and Merkur are some of the best chocolate boutiques the city has to offer.
Oaxaca, Mexico
Woven into the city’s history, chocolate here is eaten and produced based on intuition. For the residents, chocolates are a part of their culture and there are ample opportunities for visitors to learn how to make chocolates in this city. Get spoiled for choices in this paradise for choco lovers where you can choose from, hot chocolate, chocolate pastries and chocolate candies. One of the striking features of chocolates produced here is that they are still made in the old-fashioned way using hands. Mina Street in Oaxaca is perhaps the ‘sweetest street‘ in the world with Mayordomo, Guelaguetza, and La Soledad all located here. Almost all markets have shops selling chocolates so don’t worry about not getting your hands on the best ones in the business.
San Francisco, California
A foodies’ heaven, this city will spoil you like crazy when it comes to chocolates. The Bay Area has some of the oldest chocolate makers in the US and from drinking chocolate to combining it with your favourite fruit, San Francisco is a crazy place for chocoholics. Take chocolate tours to explore some of the best chocolate stores and boutiques. Ghirardelli Chocolate, Scherffen Berger, XOX Truffle, Richart San Francisco, Cocoa Bella, TCHO and Christopher Elbow Artisinal Chocolates are the shops to look out for. Scherffen Berger even offers free tours to its factory for true chocolate enthusiasts.
Villajoyosa, Spain
Popular as the ‘chocolate city’, it is home to Spain’s oldest gourmet chocolate producer, Valor, founded in 1881. It is also home to an excellent chocolate museum that displays not just the history of chocolate production in the city but also how the local favourites are created. Chocolates with churros are a specialty in this city that you can’t afford to miss. Chocolates Perez, Mokafe, Siroco, Chocolates Clavileno and Jose Vinache Soriano are the other shops worth a visit.
Chocolate Cities – Be it dark, liquid, bitter or rum, there is a chocolate to suit every palate and these chocolate cities will make sure you discover some of the best that the world has to be offered.
Have a Chocolate-y Day!
