Imagine a room full of chocolate… Sounds amazing right? This might seem like a fantasy, but the weekend of October 6th was a dream come true. Over 50 notable chocolate makers and vendors of the industry came together to show off amazing chocolates.
Since its inception in 2016, The Big Chocolate Show has attracted over 5,000 attendees over the three-day expo, with professional experts, foodies, food editors and fans enjoying up-close-and-personal live demos, tasting and pairing classes and of course, a plethora of samples from chocolatiers around the globe at The Terminal Stores on the city’s bustling waterfront. A notable component to the weekend included the ”Legends” award that honors some of the chocolatey best. This year’s honorees included Sophie and Michael Coe, Ed Seguine, John Scharffenberger and Juan Carlos Motamayor.
So I know what you are thinking… Just spill the chocolate beans, Alyssa… what kind of chocolate did you have? Well, I was like a kid in a candy shop! It ranged from all the usual suspects (white, milk, and dark) to drinking chocolate to chocolate with quinoa — you can’t say I did not have anything healthy that night! Soft chocolate with beautiful designs from Chocolate Moonshine was irresistible. Fun political chocolate from DC-based Harper Macaw al la Flip-Flopper (chocolate with huge chunks of toffee). Hoja Verde Had a sweet rose and lemon bar that opened my palate in so many ways.
One of the most decorated chocolates was William Dean Chocolates, which follows the artisan tradition of creating every truffle, confection, and piece of chocolate by hand, in small batches. The beautifully crafted treats are truly works of art, exciting the eye and intriguing the palate with interesting flavor combinations and vibrant designs.
Both delicious and a treasure to the eye, some of the presentation of some of the chocolate was an eye-popping experience. There were LAZOR engraved chocolates, which were perfect for corporate gifting and party favors. Also, chocolate shape as shoes was totally cute.
I attended the date night portion of the show on Friday night which paired chocolatey desserts with a boozy counterpart. Before entering the choco-boozy room, I met Celebrity chef, Mary Giuliani who was promoting her new book The Cocktail Party, which was right up my alley!
An interesting read, it got me amped up to enter the section of the show dedicated to desserts and spirits. I soon discovered a lot of local sweet shops paired with some of the most delicious spirits in the industry— and of course, there was chocolate. Spirits like the sweet Indian liquors like Somrus to dessert vodkas like Van Gogh paired up with boozy cupcakes and bacon mousse tarts… YUM
Chocolate MoonshineEd SeguineJohn Scharffenberger and Juan Carlos MotamayorsomrusSophie and Michael Coethe big chocolate showThe Terminal StoresWilliam Dean Chocolates
what do you think?