This past weekend I attended NYC’s premier Chocolate Show put on by Sylvie Douce and Franois Jeantet held at the Metropolitan Pavilion
(125 West 18th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues). This was the 13th annual show and from the looks of the line wrapped around half a city block it was a huge success.
“The Chocolate show is the largest international show exclusively dedicated to the chocolate industry. Celebrating all that is special about chocolate, it provides chocolate professionals with a unique communication platform. All those working in the industry and chocolate lovers of every kind can get together to express their views, share experiences and enjoy their passion for chocolate.”
To kick off the show every year, there is a famous chocolate fashion show. Outfits are made from chocolate and delicately walked down the runway. Although, I wasn’t there to catch the models trying to maneuver these heavy looking costumes, I did enjoy looking at their intricacies up close.
There were lots of vendors to visit, chocolates from around the world to sample, and two different culinary demonstration kitchens where famous chocolatiers and pastry chefs show off their best chocolate secrets. I watched Nick Malgieri from the Institute of Culinary Education make a chocolate hazelnut tart (pictured below).
“The Chocolate show was founded in 1997 by Sylvie Douce and François Jeantet, two French entrepreneurs with a great passion for chocolate, The Chocolate Show was quickly adopted by New York City as one of its favorite shows, and has become the largest and one of the most popular events devoted to chocolate in the United States. The New York Chocolate Show is one of many international Salon du Chocolat events produced annually by Sylvie Douce and François Jeantet. In 2010, shows will be presented in Paris, Tokyo and six cities in Japan, Shanghai, Madrid, Cairo and Moscow.”
I think my biggest fascination was not the chocolates themselves but how they were packaged and presented. It was interesting to find myself being drawn towards some booths more than other because their packaging was cooler and more appealing. Second to packaging, was the ability to try chocolates I wouldn’t normally choose to purchase. Usually when we don’t know whether we are going to like something or not we don’t take the risk to buy it. The nice part about going to the show was there was no risk in trying what I would normally pass over on the shelf. Some of the interesting flavors I tried were green tea from Japan, violet, lavender, cumin, chipolte, lemon grass, carmel apple, and spicy orange chocolate. Besides how crowded the event was, it was worth a trip to the city to taste and see a whole new world of chocolates.
If you are interested in attending next year’s show, bookmark the chocolate show’s website and get tickets in advance to beat the lines.
Chocolate Lesson Plans
Chocolate Information
- Chocolate Exploration (interactive)