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chocolate · cocoa · Food · Indonesia · Dec 25, 2011

Indonesian Chocolate – From the Source

Indonesia produces the third most cocoa in the world, but they hardly consume it. Belgian chocolate maker simply thought why not, and opened a chocolate company using local cocoa and making high end product. The bad thing is that now the chocolatier intends to triple consumption which has to mean worse teeth, bigger waist lines, and as some people believe, pimples. Jokes aside, there’s a lot to the chocolate industry in Asia, and if you like chocolate, you’ll enjoy what you read. It’s rising in consumption all over Asia including India with their 600 air conditioned malls, but where there’s production problems in terms of bad weather, the government is kicking in. Doesn’t the Monggo Chocolate look good? (Reuters – Monggo)

china · chocolate · News · theme park · Dec 01, 2011

Chocolate Theme Park in Shanghai

On a hot day, this has to be the worst. A true Hershey highway will run through the walk ways. The theme park is actually at the Himilayas Art Museum which sounds like a mismatch of a name from December 16 to February 19, 2012 and will feature chocolate art as seem in the photos but you’ll be able to make chocolate and participate is trying chocolate. They’ll even mix in fashion and wine. This is a redux of something that took place last year. (Huffington Post – Chocolate Theme Park)

chocolate · Food · holiday · korea · News · pepero · pepero day · South Korea · Nov 11, 2011

Today is Pepero Day in South Korea

The calendar says 11/11/11, which means one thing in South Korea: Pepero Day. They call it Pepero Day because these skinny, chocolate covered biscuits resemble the numbers that make up the date 11/11. It’s huge holiday over there, with markets and convenient stores decked out with fancy displays and gift baskets of these snacks, a knock off of the more familiar Pocky brand. The concept is that you gift boxes of these confectionary treats to your significant other as a symbol of your affection. Barf, right? As if we need another commercialized holiday to set a standard for how we hang in our relationships. Even the Asian markets here in the States gave into the South Korean craze this year. The photo above wasn’t even half of the display that I saw while shopping for groceries yesterday.

chocolate · Food · japan · salon du chocolat · susumu koyama · Oct 24, 2011

The King of Chocolate

Isn’t chocolate universally everyone’s favorite flavor? It did come late to Japan because of the nation being one of the most isolated places in the world. Yes there are more, and much poorer places that are isolated, but imagine, Japan is an island separated from the rest of Asia by one of the toughest seas anywhere – the Japan Sea and on the other side? It’s the Pacific. It’s why it was safe from attack and foreigners. But now at the “17th Salon du Chocolat” held in Paris, it’s another story. Japan loves chocolate. Not the sweet Hersheys kind, but something that’s a bit more subdued. Desserts and sweets are a huge part of society and chocolate has crept in. Imagine, why are the multi flavors of Kit Kats so popular? Yes, there you have it. Japan loves chocolate. Yet it goes to the highest levels. Japan is part of the elite of chocolate. “… Susumu Koyama, 47, was even named “Best Foreign Chocolatier” — winning out over top masters from celebrated chocolate-making nations like Belgium and Switzerland.” Koyama it turns out is like the greatest around. A celebrity in the making for desserts. (AFP – Susumu) and read more about Koyama here.