CHOCOLATE PARADISE

SALON DU CHOCOLAT Paris, October 14 – 18
Who else but the French would dream up a 5-day chocolate-smothered extravaganza that combines history, workshops, dances, demonstrations, and…a chocolate fashion show set to opera!

Here are just a few of the highlights visitors of all ages can indulge in:

• In the Chocosphere, lectures and tastings are offered hourly by eminent specialists. Some of the fascinating topics include “Chocolate Maker: A Job, A Passion; “Women and Chocolate;” and “Discover Your Chocolate Identity.”

• In the Cocoa Show, cocoa-producing country representatives integrate the cultures where the prized pod is cultivated with the related traditions that have been passed down through history. Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil will present local dances, chants, and rites and rituals connected to the cocoa tree and its end product.

• Cooking demonstrations are a favorite event, and the list of renowned chocolate makers, pastry chefs, and chocolate confection wizards include Executive Chef Lenôtre and Ecôle de Cuisine, Alain Ducasse. More than forty chocolate recipes will be magically created for those in attendance. Among them: Milky Chocolate Fingers with Bergamot; Chocolate Canellonis Perfumed with Vanilla; Chocococurry Macaroons; and a pairing of Alsace Wines with chocolates of the world.

• In Chocoland petit aspiring chefs don chef hats and aprons to decorate their own personal chocolate confections.

• The Opera Fashion Show – the centerpiece of the event, and a benefit that has contributed to more than 50 children’s charities – occurs every day at 5 p.m., and this year marks its 15th anniversary. The pageant (a fairy tale performed as opera) is nothing less than a fusion of fashion and chocolate, combining the talents of some of France’s leading designers with its top chocolatiers. International celebrities walk the runway in stunning chocolate “couture.”

WHEN: October 14 – 18
WHERE: Paris Expo, Port de Versailles
HOURS: Daily, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Open Friday, October 16 until 9 p.m.
COST: Adults: 12 euros; Children 3-6, 6 euros.

WEB SITE: www.salonduchocolat.fr