Make room, Max Brenner shops of Melbourne: the Prahran Market is set to blow your mind with the Wicked Chocolate festival on May 7th from 10:30 AM to 5 PM. The festival will feature many Melbourne sweets shops providing all sorts of chocolate-based goodies, from Fritz Gelato chocolate gelatos and A25 Nutella pizzas and—for the adults among us—chocolate cocktails provided by Chapel St Cellars Bar. Alongside these chocolate pop-ups, there will be standby Prahran Market traders serving up their own twists on chocolate delicacies, like chocolate covered baklava from Sweet Greek and raw vegan Snickers from Kook’s Kitchen.
On top of all the chocolates you can sample, there will be free chocolate cooking demonstrations and free samplings from some fine chocolatiers, and even some presentations on the history and origins of chocolate. Best part of all? Entry to the event is free! All you need to pay for are the various “chocolate tour” ticket packages, or each individual stall you visit. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon outside before the weather gets too cold! Before you go, though, how about a brief history of chocolate so you can show off your knowledge to all the professionals in attendance?Chocolate is produced from cacao beans, a plant native to Central and South America, and has been around for thousands of years. The Mayans and Aztecs (ancient civilizations from that area) believed chocolate had magical—or even god-like—properties. They used it in rituals and also as a form of currency, however chocolate in its original form was very bitter compared to today and consumed exclusively as a beverage. It wasn’t until Europeans took cacao beans back to Europe and added sugar that modern chocolate started to take shape. Building on the discoveries of scientists (e.g. how to make chocolate bars), two little companies pioneered the modern consumption of chocolate during the mid-1800s: Cadbury and Nestle.
Before you go, though, how about a brief history of chocolate so you can show off your knowledge to all the professionals in attendance?Chocolate is produced from cacao beans, a plant native to Central and South America, and has been around for thousands of years. The Mayans and Aztecs (ancient civilizations from that area) believed chocolate had magical—or even god-like—properties. They used it in rituals and also as a form of currency, however chocolate in its original form was very bitter compared to today and consumed exclusively as a beverage. It wasn’t until Europeans took cacao beans back to Europe and added sugar that modern chocolate started to take shape. Building on the discoveries of scientists (e.g. how to make chocolate bars), two little companies pioneered the modern consumption of chocolate during the mid-1800s: Cadbury and Nestle.
Chocolate is produced from cacao beans, a plant native to Central and South America, and has been around for thousands of years. The Mayans and Aztecs (ancient civilizations from that area) believed chocolate had magical—or even god-like—properties. They used it in rituals and also as a form of currency, however chocolate in its original form was very bitter compared to today and consumed exclusively as a beverage. It wasn’t until Europeans took cacao beans back to Europe and added sugar that modern chocolate started to take shape. Building on the discoveries of scientists (e.g. how to make chocolate bars), two little companies pioneered the modern consumption of chocolate during the mid-1800s: Cadbury and Nestle.
There! Now you’re all chocolate experts. Go forth and put your new knowledge to use at the festival, and happy sampling!