Chocolate
photo: Richard Harris
So here it is, the longest chocolate structure in the world. 112 feet long, 6,432 pieces, 1,285 kilos of chocolate, 784 working hours. This was produced by students of the Institute of Tourism Studies in Malta in cooperation with the Belgian chocolate industry and certified by Guinness Book of World Records. There are prominent signs along the whole length of the train reminding people that it is inedible. The details and variety of the rolling stock are impressive.
So here it is, the longest chocolate structure in the world. 112 feet long, 6,432 pieces, 1,285 kilos of chocolate, 784 working hours. This was produced by students of the Institute of Tourism Studies in Malta in cooperation with the Belgian chocolate industry and certified by Guinness Book of World Records. There are prominent signs along the whole length of the train reminding people that it is inedible. The details and variety of the rolling stock are impressive.
photo: Richard Harris
There's also a chocolate piano on display.
There's also a chocolate piano on display.
photo: Richard Harris
Chocolat Jacques is a venerable Belgian chocolate company, producer of bars, not fancy little chocolates. though we were a Côte d'Or family, I used to buy Jacques bars because they came with pictures that one collected and then sent away for the book in which to glue the pictures. I am still the proud owner of European Cars of 1962. The chocolate was excellent if not as highly rated as Côte d'Or or Callebaut. A few years ago Callebaut bought Jacques but kept their production separate and didn't change their products. Jacques has always been produced in Eupen in the Eastern Cantons of Belgium, the German speaking part of the country.
I buy their twin 200 gram bars (two 200 gram bars sold attached to each other) of dark chocolate since it has a nice smoky taste and the price is right. Unwrapping a bar a few weeks ago I was surprised to see that it was wrapped in gold paper (Jacques uses silver paper). Then I tasted it and realized that it was milk chocolate. The other bar in the twin back had the right paper and was dark. I sent Jacques an email. They asked me to send them the box. Friday I received a package (see photo) with three different kinds of bars and a letter which along with the expected apologies and politesses informed me that they do not use nor do they have any gold paper in their facility.
A big mystery.
Chocolat Jacques is a venerable Belgian chocolate company, producer of bars, not fancy little chocolates. though we were a Côte d'Or family, I used to buy Jacques bars because they came with pictures that one collected and then sent away for the book in which to glue the pictures. I am still the proud owner of European Cars of 1962. The chocolate was excellent if not as highly rated as Côte d'Or or Callebaut. A few years ago Callebaut bought Jacques but kept their production separate and didn't change their products. Jacques has always been produced in Eupen in the Eastern Cantons of Belgium, the German speaking part of the country.
I buy their twin 200 gram bars (two 200 gram bars sold attached to each other) of dark chocolate since it has a nice smoky taste and the price is right. Unwrapping a bar a few weeks ago I was surprised to see that it was wrapped in gold paper (Jacques uses silver paper). Then I tasted it and realized that it was milk chocolate. The other bar in the twin back had the right paper and was dark. I sent Jacques an email. They asked me to send them the box. Friday I received a package (see photo) with three different kinds of bars and a letter which along with the expected apologies and politesses informed me that they do not use nor do they have any gold paper in their facility.
A big mystery.
The Chinese are starting to enjoy chocolate and the Belgian chocolate industry will be using the Shanghai World's Fair to make sure Belgium gets a lion's share of this potentially huge market. Chocolate will be one of the most prominent themes of the Belgian Pavilion with pralines (the small hand-formed filled chocolates) exhibited under glass like fine jewelry and with over 70 artisans doing demonstrations and, of course, tastings in the Belgian Chocolate Corner of the pavilion. The Brussels World's Fair in 1958 was an important step in the internationalization of the appreciation of Belgian chocolate and they are looking for the same sort of leap forward. In 2008 Belgium exported over 800 tons of chocolate to China and last year Barry-Callebaut opened their first factory in China which can produce 60,000 tons per year.
It's hard to overestimate the importance of chocolate here. It is omni-present in social and culinary life, vast quantities are eaten, there are dozens and dozens of high-end producers as well as commercial behemoths, and naturally, it's a major employer.
I just wonder where they are going to get the cacao beans necessary to feed all of China.
It's hard to overestimate the importance of chocolate here. It is omni-present in social and culinary life, vast quantities are eaten, there are dozens and dozens of high-end producers as well as commercial behemoths, and naturally, it's a major employer.
I just wonder where they are going to get the cacao beans necessary to feed all of China.
photo: Richard Harris
Since I hadn't been there during the holidays I went up to the Grand Sablon/Grote Zavel for this end of the season walk. Here we see the terminally minimal chic Pierre Marcolini chocolate shop's exterior Christmas decorations (much flashier than the interior).
Since I hadn't been there during the holidays I went up to the Grand Sablon/Grote Zavel for this end of the season walk. Here we see the terminally minimal chic Pierre Marcolini chocolate shop's exterior Christmas decorations (much flashier than the interior).