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

“Did Jews ‘Invent’ Chocolate?” An Exclusive Interview with Deborah Prinz by Walter Bingam for his radio program “Walter’s World” at Israel National Radio about my book On the Chocolate Trail: A Delicious Adventure Connecting Jews, Religions, History, Travel, Rituals and Recipes to the Magic of Cacao, published by Jewish Lights and now in its second

On St. Patrick’s Day green chocolate took on a whole new meaning for us. Green-garbed celebrants lined up outside of Boston’s Back Bay bars in the middle of the day as Mark and I walked over the Charles River for a quick chocolate factory tour in nearby Somerville. One of just a few “(cocoa) bean

Mark and I were in Rockport, Massachusetts, for the wedding of longtime family friends.  There, we enjoyed many small world family and Jewish interactions which were profound in some ways and fun as well.  We: met the parents of a former boyfriend of a rabbinic student coming to our home at the end of the

After trying for weeks to get confirmation for our Rosh HaShanah reservation at the Pines in Fire Island–to pray in a new setting, to be with friends, to be at the beach, to have a break–we decided we had better go to our fall back option: Switzerland! So it was chocolate that ultimately escorted us

“Things are seldom as they seem” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore rang true as we explored England’s chocolate in Oxford, Birmingham, the Lake District and York in March of 2009.  Our search for historic and significant chocolate had us schlepping 262 miles to the beautiful but rainy town of Kendal in the Lake District

This past April we managed a return visit to CoCo Chocolatier, as we settled into  Williamsburg, Virginia, for some research about Colonial chocolate at the Rockefeller Library.  A break from the data bases of early historical newspapers and library took us to Colonial Williamsburg’s chocolate making day, which occurs the first Tuesday of each month. 

Tired from the long flight from NYC to Mexico City, via Cancun , my energy level spiked as I meandered into a Mayordomo chocolate shop at the airport. Smelling the recently ground chocolate, marveling at the piles of cocoa beans I aimed directly for several small dishes set out on the counter filled with dark,

In early December of 2006, my husband Mark and I discovered the roots of chocolate Chanukah gelt. That winter we drove a rental car from Brussels to Liege, Belgium, searching for a chocolate museum in the nearby town of Eupen. As we descended the hilly road that took us into downtown Liege to our hotel,

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

July 13, 2007 Mancerinas in Madrid Back to Madrid, examples of beautiful mancerinas—first developed by the Marques de Mancera (1639-1648) in Peru—displayed at the Museum of Decorative Arts.

July 10, 2007 Ávila There are great pastries here, but this hot chocolate was foul.

July 9, 2007 Burgos In Burgos, a little restaurant recommended by The Lonely Planet and even more…

July 8, 2007 Astorga A chocolate center in the Maragateria area, with at least five chocolate stores crowded on one block. Astorga also hosts another chocolate museum! We wanted to buy this chocolate pot set, but it was not for sale. At stores everywhere these small tiles could be purchased. The Astorga Chocolate Museum, created

July 6, 2007 Salamanca In Salamanca a Valor store again, one of several all over Spain where the menu offers hot chocolate from a mancerina. Despite trying very hard to find a mancerina or a chocolate pot or both at antique stores, flea markets, other chocolate stores, houseware outlets all over the country, it became