Cioccolato Italiano!

Cari amici,

A warning before I begin! All recovering sugar addicts might not want to continue reading. This post may cause a relapse in cravings so intense that they could rival in destruction to the flames of the Great Fire of Rome in July of 64 AD.

Since 1993, the Eurochocolate festival happens at the end of every October in Perugia, the capital of Umbria, in central Italy drawing almost a million visitors. The city is an hour and forty minutes on a fast train from Rome, and a welcome change – calmer and with greater accent on its medieval past. The festival is held within the walls of the city’s fortress on top of quite a steep hill, and takes up seven piazzas (squares) and numerous side streets.  

Besides being filled with numerous booths selling heavenly sweets, the event planners also organize panel discussions, cultural events, chocolate sculpting competitions, and tours of the local chocolate factory. The city offers free transportation up to the festival by local buses, the minimetro which looks somewhat like the London eye, or a cute street train. (I took the street train, and since I was the only one waiting to go to the festival at the time, the conductor let me sit in front with him.)

But it doesn’t stop there! Festival employees hand out free chocolate samples from Italy’s most well known chocolate company: Perugina. One is able to get a sweet fix in any form imaginable – from the traditional candies and liquids, to the more unusual inventions such as chocolate kebabs, salami with fruit or nuts, and chocolate wine. And, I assure all of you, these are carefully scrutinized sellers; there are no expired Walgreens chocolate-chalk eggs here. From the big brands to little booth selling nonna’s recipes, the ingredients are as fresh and organic as possible. And if nonna is at the booth and likes you, she might even give you an extra piece of her homemade tartufo dolce balls coated in spicy dark chocolate.

Now, I’m trying to reign in my own sweet tooth, so I didn’t get too crazy. But I did have to try some things, for you all. First, I had a chocolate kebab! It was made by a girl shaving pieces off of what looked like the traditional lamb gyros cone, but was actually a milk and white chocolate rotating leg of chocolate. Then shavings were then put in a pita, topped with either warm vanilla, strawberry cream or fresh pane (like whip cream in the US but with little or no sugar). I also found it necessary to try the fresh chocolate covered strawberries, a rarity in Italy.

For my enjoyment later, I purchased chocolate covered hazelnuts, dark chocolate covered oranges, dark chocolate covered almonds, two hand dipped chocolate apples, four tartufo dolce balls (one dark, one milk, one spicy, one junky nugget), four biscotti with pistachio filling, four biscotti with fruit filling and a bag of biscotti covered in dark chocolate with almonds and fruit paste. In reality, it’s impressive I didn’t go into diabetic shock. But, I did have fun!

Until next time!

Ersilia

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