Xocolātl (xoco = bitter, all = water). Bitter water. That’s what “chocolate” meant in the classical Nahuatl (Aztec) language. It’s not a misnomer; in its earliest form, cocoa powder was served as a bitter liquid until Europeans stumbled upon it, added sugar to the cocoa, and turned it into what we now know as chocolate. (Read also | World Chocolate Day 2024: 5 Irresistible Chocolate Dessert Recipes to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth)
Although beset by complex economic, social and environmental problems, including poverty, child labor and deforestation, cocoa and chocolate production is a $162 billion (2023) global industry.
On World Chocolate Day, let’s take a stroll through the best chocolate-producing cities in the world and choose the best chocolates in town.
Brussels Belgium)
Chocolate arrived in Belgium as early as the 17th century, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that chocolate became widely available. Pharmacist Jean Neuhaus claims credit for the first Belgian chocolate. And the praline was born in 1912. To protect the pralines, his wife created a cardboard box, like a jewelry box, and called it a “ballotin.” Almost 112 years later, a ballotin of chocolate pralines is still a favorite gift in Brussels. Today, Brussels is full of chocolate shops, renowned chocolate makers, great classics, artisans and rising stars.
Best chocolate shops: Neuhaus, Wittamer, Pierre Marcolini, Laurent Gerbaud, Artisan Chocolatier Mary, Frederic Blondeel
The best chocolates in town: Godiva, Neuhaus, Mary, Côte d’Or
Paris, France)
It was a gift to the 14-year-old King Louis XIII from his future wife, 14-year-old Anne of Austria. This is how chocolate came to France – placed in a chest as a gift of great value. At that time, chocolate was expensive, exotic and considered an aphrodisiac and almost a recreational drug. In the early days, it was taken in liquid form – the paste of cocoa beans mixed with water or milk and added flavorings such as pepper, allspice, cloves and vanilla.
Best chocolate shops: Pierre Herme, Patrick Roger, La Maison du Chocolat, Debauve & Gallais, Pierre Marcolini, Don’t miss the Gourmet Chocolate Museum
The best chocolates in town: Chapon, Valrhona, François Pralus, Michel Cluizel
Turin (Italy)
History tells us that in 1560, Duke Emanuele Filibert of Savoy served hot chocolate to celebrate the transfer of the Ducal Capital from Chambéry to Turin. From the creation of Bicerin in the 18th century, a drink made from coffee, cocoa and cream, to the pioneering of solid chocolate bars and the variety of chocolates, Turin continues to reinvent its chocolate tradition.
Best chocolate shops: Caffarel, Guido Gobino Turin, Venchi, Peyrano, Giordano
The best chocolates in town: Giandujotto, Chocolate Truffle, Cream, Liquor Chocolate, Nocciolati
Vienna, Austria)
Vienna’s tradition of fine chocolate can be traced back to the Habsburg Empire, when artisanal chocolates became a desirable luxury in the Austrian capital. In the mid-18th century, the Imperial Court spent almost as much on chocolate as on beer. In 1832, 16-year-old apprentice chef Franz Sacher created the Sachertorte, a cake so sweet, so extra, and so full of chocolate. And now no one leaves Vienna without taking a bite of the Sachertorte.
Best chocolate shops: Xocolat Manufaktur, Schoko Company, Bonbons Neubaugasse, Lindt, Heindi. Join Xocolatl Manufaktur in Vienna’s first central district for a chocolate making workshop.
The best chocolates in town: Ildefonso, Casali, Ritter Sport, Heidi, Milka.
Bruges (Belgium)
Often referred to as the Chocolate Capital of Flanders, Bruges is home to over 50 passionate chocolatiers and acts as a bona fide chocolate laboratory. To learn all about chocolate in Bruges, head to Choco Story, a museum located just two minutes from the city’s main square.
Best chocolate shops: Dumon Chocolatier, The Chocolate Line, Chocoladehuisje, Pralinette, The Old Chocolate House
The best chocolates in town: Jeff de Bruges, Dominique Persoone’s chocolate (he once created a chocolate sniffer for the Rolling Stones)
Zurich, Switzerland)
Zurich has been a chocolate city since 1845, the year the Sprüngli family founded the first chocolate factory in German-speaking Switzerland. But it was Rodolphe Lindt who revolutionized chocolate production with his invention of the conching machine in Bern in 1879. In 1899, the two men laid the foundations of Lindt & Sprüngli and fondant chocolate was born. Don’t miss the Lindt Home of Chocolate Museum.
Best chocolate shops: Sprüngli, Teuscher, Leader, Honold, Max
The best chocolates in town: Teuscher dark chocolate, Läderach Grand Cru Noir, Lindt Extra Dark Chocolate Lindor Truffles, Bachmann’s vegan chocolates
Oaxaca (Mexico)
In 1502, the first shipment of cocoa arrived in Europe from Oaxaca. In the Mixtec region of Oaxaca, drinking cocoa symbolizes unity and community on important social occasions, such as births, weddings, and funerals. And in some places, cocoa is also given as a dowry.
Best chocolate shops: ,The Authentic, The Mayordomo Chocolate Shop, All Saints, Xhuladii Chocolates, Rite
Best chocolate drinks in town: Chocolateatole, Tejate, Chocolate atole (champurrado), Tascalate, Popo
Cologne (Germany)
In 1828, a Dutch chemist discovered a way to make chocolate powder by removing some of its fat content, and his product came to be known as Dutch cocoa. This resulted in the creation of the first chocolate bar in Europe. The Cologne Chocolate Museum is the best place to learn all about chocolate in the city.
Best chocolate shops: Café Reichard, Fassbender, Lindt Boutique, Hernando Cortez, Peters Pralinen
The best chocolates in town: Ritter Sport, Moser Roth, Mercy, Hachez, Niederegger
Hershey (USA)
We’re all familiar with Hershey’s Kisses, but Hershey is actually an unincorporated town in Pennsylvania founded in 1903 by candy magnate Milton Hershey to house his namesake chocolate factory. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate, in its brown and silver wrapper, was perhaps the most well-known American candy bar of the 20th century. Today, Hershey also has a theme park, a zoo, and several golf courses.
Best chocolate shops: Hershey’s Chocolate World, Hershey Museum Store, Reese HB Candy, The Chocolatier
The best chocolates in town: Hershey’s Kisses, Reese’s, Kit Kat, PayDay, Cadbury’s
La Fortuna (Costa Rica)
Cacao was so precious to the Aztecs and Mayans who lived in the Le Fortuna area that they used it as currency. Someone could buy a slave for a few hundred beans! Perhaps the only way to learn the history of Costa Rican chocolate is to book a Chocolate Tour.
Best Chocolate Tours: North Fields Cafe Tour, Rainforest Tour, Eden Chocolate Tour, Sloth Watching & Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience, Don Olive Chocolate Tour
The best chocolates in town: Samaritan Chocolate, Sierpe River, ChocoPrisma
