On the Chocolate Trail

Choco-dar first erupted on our multi-country circuit of Europe in a VW van. That adult onset, self-diagnosed radar for chocolate experiences led us serendipitously to many wonderful chocolate discoveries and surprises. In the process I learned some chocolate travel tips.  Chocolate travel generated the book and the website that I came to call On the

Do you want to eat a 100 year old chocolate covered, cookie framed marshmallow? The iconic Mallomars turned 100 today. That calls to mind its sibling concoctions from other countries and times, such as the Krembo in Israel. Other similar classic chocolate-covered marshmallows recall the colonial empire roots of some European chocolate traditions. Chocolate makers

When fantasizing about the publication of On the Chocolate Trail, I imagined a chocolatey cover that either would include actual samples or at least might be scratch and sniff.  That proved a bit too ambitious, unfortunately. I do love the look of the final cover, though it only activates one of the senses. The Belgian

In response to a recent request: (fuller information in my forthcoming book Jews on the Chocolate Trail: Stories of Jews and Cacao) 1.  Some people think that Jews brought chocolate to France. 2.  In the eighteenth century, Jews were thought to be specialists in chocolate making. 3.  Woody Guthrie wrote a song about Chanukah gelt.

Chocolate has entered my life at fun and surprising moments, causing me to suspect cocoa-dar. One such experience occurred as my husband Mark and I traveled in 2006 in our van from Paris south on a small road to Carpentras via the towns of Dijon, Lyons, and Avignon. As Mark drove, I usually read or

Wherever I travel, I seek out chocolate connections with Jews. In the last couple of years, my trips to Belgium, to the southwest of France, to Spain, to Israel, to New England and elsewhere, have revolved around my chocolate research. My interest in Jews on the Chocolate Trail started with travel. Around the time that

June 15, 2007 …with plenty of additional chocolate options: Carcassonne Girona

June 15, 2007 Carcassonne On to Carcassonne, where these neighboring stores are on the main square: Just inside the medieval walled city, amidst the tourist attractions and souvenir shops, we happily enjoyed hot chocolate, with choies of flavorings again, in a lovely garden setting: Toulouse Narbonne

June 14, 2007 We did not expect to find chocolate at all, only friends of friends with whom to spend the night and visit. Surprisingly, while searching out the one chocolate store recommended by the local Tourist Office, we found a cluster of stores in the Quartier Victor Hugo, close to Victor Hugo Square, near

June 10, 2007 The quantity of chocolate in Bayonne more than compensated for the lack in Bilbao. We arrived on Sunday, so we found the chocolate shops closed, sadly, but we did discover an Italian brand of hot chocolate at a local creperie.