The world’s top choc spots

24 November 2009 4:23pm

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Love chocolate? Discover how to feel full of beans on this nonstop choc tour of the planet.

Flanders, Belgium

Belgians love chocolate almost as much as they love beer – which is to say, a lot. And it’s not just any old chocolate: the Belgians are proud of quality and innovation, and Flanders in particular boasts some of the planet’s finest and most imaginative chocolatiers. Look out for Hans Burie’s flamboyant creations in Antwerp and Laurent Gerbaud’s Orient inspired offerings in Brussels. Both Bruges and Brussels boast museums where you can learn more about the history and production of chocolate.

Ghana

Next time you munch a bar of Dairy Milk, think of Tetteh Quarshie. Who? The man who planted the first cacao seeds in Ghana, germinating the agricultural industry that made Ghana the primary cocoa exporter for most of the 20^th century.

You can visit Ghana’s first cocoa plant at Quarshie’s farm, and learn about chocolate production at the Tafo Cocoa Research Institute near Koforidua.

Southern Belize

In the beginning there was the pod, and the pod was good… Way before Columbus got lost on his way to the East Indies, the Maya and Aztecs of Central America were tucking into xocolatl and kukuh – bitter, spiced drinks concocted from cacao beans. Today, the cacao growers of Belize’s southern Toledo district have received a new lease of life thanks to Green & Black’s chocolate, whose Maya Gold bars are based on the ancient kukuh recipe. Arrange to visit a plantation – to see the plants, taste fresh-picked beans and experience chocolate as ‘pod’ intended – through the Toledo Cacao Growers Association.

Venezuela

Purists know that the rarest and finest of the three varieties of cocoa bean is the criollo – chocolate snobs lovingly describe its lingering aftertaste as featuring vanilla, caramel and nuts. Venezuela, and specifically the Paria Peninsula – known as the ‘Chocolate Coast’ – is the origin of the most sought-after criollos, chuao and porcelana. The best are grown on small family-run farms, such as Hacienda Bukare, which you can visit (and where, more importantly, you can get samples!).

Bournville, Birmingham, England

It’s not quite Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory (where are the Oompa-Loompas?), but Birmingham’s Cadbury World feeds the need in us all to drool over big vats of brown liquid loveliness and watch naked bars whizz through wrapping machines. Take the tour, taste the goods and go wild in the World’s Biggest Cadbury Shop. Yum.

Turin, Italy

Ever since Duke Filiberto introduced the sweet Aztec drink he’d discovered on his conquistadoring in the late 16th century, the city’s been mad for all things cocoa. Chocolate shops are numerous (and top-notch) along the grand boulevards and piazzas. Pop into Guido Gobino’s emporium (Via Cagliari, 15b) for a true taste of Turin – the man is a master of the gianduja, a sensational hazelnut-chocolate combo that’s been the culinary symbol of the city since its invention in 1867.

Turin’s three-week chocolate festival, CioccolaTò, is held every March.

Switzerland

This compact nation has the highest per-capita chocolate consumption in the world, and has spawned some of the most famous makers: Lindt, Nestlé, Suchard and Toblerone all call Switzerland home. For factory fun visit the Nestlé-Calliers site near Gruyères (free samples included!), or for handmade pralines and top truffles try one of the Sprüngli outlets – the company has been crafting cocoa since 1836.

Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

Welcome to the self-declared Sweetest Place on Earth! This chocolate-scented town, HQ of the Hershey’s empire, is a US institution and has spawned a whole resort of chocothemed entertainment. Sip choc martinis in a Hershey-themed restaurant and slap your picture on a chocolate bar at Hershey’s Chocolate World before being smeared with therapeutic cocoa at the Hershey’s Chocolate Spa. Sweet.

Grenada, Caribbean

Drive from Grenada’s capital St George’s through the misty, monkey-swung highland forests of Grand Etang National Park and you’ll eventually reach remote Hermitage St Patrick’s – home to arguably the best chocolate in the world. The minuscule Grenada Chocolate Company produces award-winning bars and cocoa in the most ethical fashion: beans are grown, picked, processed and packed in the onsite factory-cum-family-abode; the electricity is solar-powered and the business a local cooperative, directly benefiting those on the doorstep. Stroll amid the cacao plants and taste it for yourself on a plantation tour, though be warned: humble supermarket chocolate may never be the same again.

Paris, France

Chocoholics, you’ve found your heaven. First, check out the top-end goods – a visit to one of Robert Linxe’s Maison du Chocolat stores will start you drooling. Then stop for refreshment at a chocolate cafe (try Chez Angelina) before booking in at the Lenôtre Culinary School for a cocoa cooking-class. Nip out to the Île-de- France region for a (free) tour of the Nestlé factory, before, if you’ve timed it right, sampling the chocolate demonstrations, fashion shows and sculptures of the Salon du Chocolat festival.

Comments

22 January 2010 4:14PM ivalun Report this comment
Mexico is the place where cocoa was discovered, and Oaxaca is the place where you can still sample the chocolate as it was originally prepared by many of the Mesoamerican cultures there. So now my question is, why Mexico is not on this list???
2 February 2010 7:02PM finspitz0 Report this comment
The "All you can eat" Chocolate Buffet at the Metropole in Hanoi is amazing. It only costs $12 and the chocolate is exquisite. They have chocolates, chocolate cakes, chocolate fountains etc.
2 February 2010 7:19PM sanniemannie Report this comment
Bariloche, chocolate capital of Argentina, hmm, try to walk past one of the many chocolate shops, it's just not possible! You have to walk in and buy chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.
3 February 2010 5:14AM akai_tonbo Report this comment
Secret from a choco-holic: the most magical morsel I've tasted in all of my travels was from Michel Chaudun in the 7th arrondisement of Paris. It was a tiny rectangle of dark chocolate with red basil ganache inside. What a unique and explosive flavor! If you're in Paris near the Eiffel Tower, it is not to be missed!
3 February 2010 10:19AM emilyjune_83 Report this comment
There is a Cadbury factory in Tasmania, Australia which I visited, it was interesting and there was lots of cheap chocolates to buy at the end of the tour. But, there is a Chocolate museum in Cologne, Germany. They have a good cafe and the museum has everything even a greenhouse with cocoa plants growing there. This is worth a visit for sure.
3 February 2010 10:32AM matureoz Report this comment
Good quality dark chocolate is my weakness and I hunt it out every where I go. They make great dark fudge chocolate in Arequipa, Peru and the most unlikely place to find delicious bitter high cocoa content chocolate is Ulaanbaatar Railway Station (Mongolia)!
3 February 2010 11:05AM marialopez Report this comment
ECUADOR
3 February 2010 11:34AM wanderingshoes Report this comment
Ooty, India was a surprise chocolate spot...stuff's generally a bit on the sweet side, but I found a nice 70% from Indian beans. Chuao, VZ is unparalleled--but don't expect good bars. best chocolate ice cream i've ever had though. Melbourne tempted me with chocolatiers like Cacao and Koko Black, among others. Ecuador is on the cusp of good chocolatourism.
4 February 2010 5:47AM shahrizad Report this comment
Damascus, Syria. Near the Cham Palace hotel, in the new part of the city, stands the chocolate paradise: Graoui. The christian family running this "chocolate boutique" are keeping a hand-made process that produces top quality cacao in European "format" (imitating Belgian chocolates, etc) and then the best: middle East style chocolate, fascinating combinations of a dried peach filled with pistachios in a black chocolate "bath", to mention my favourite. And thousand and one more combinations... A must in the place you'd think there's no quality chocolate.
9 February 2010 6:44PM ubabudo Report this comment
Try dark chocolates made with SAO TOME & PRINCIPE's cocoa, or directly from the unique cholate firm in that country, Claudio Corallo, or the other firms which work with him. Saotomean origine chocolate is the best! Mor info in: http://www.saotomeprincipe.eu/chocolate
9 February 2010 11:28PM mariarita Report this comment
VIETNAM HANOI I missed the all you can eat buffet at the Metropole, but the chocolate pastries at Thuy Ta Cafe were a good replacement. Even french chocolate lovers agreed.