A chocolate filled day

This morning I had organised another arts society event - this time it was a chocolate tour of Mayfair. We met at Hotel Chocolat in Covent Garden where we were told all about the growing of the cacao beans, the making of chocolate and the different types of chocolate and we also got to taste three different strengths of chocolate while sipping on our hot chocolates. The main difference between good quality chocolate and poor chocolate is that the good quality chocolate uses cocoa butter but the poor quality chocolate uses vegetable oils, like palm or shea oil. After that chocolate overload we walked through Soho* to get to our next stop which was the shop of chocolatier Paul A Young who has many award winning chocolates. I gave up chocolates about 18 months ago but I was persuaded to try his sea salted caramel filled dark chocolate which has won gold awards year after year - it was indeed amazing! I have added an extra of the display of chocolates that greeted us from which we could pick some to try. Then on to the Royal Arcade pictured in my blip, where we visited the queen's chocolatier, Charbonnel et Walker. More tastings of violet dark chocolate, then rose dark chocolate and then a champagne truffle. I was by now well over my chocolate load so only had tiny nibbles. The final stop was a Turkish chocolatier on Piccadilly called Khave Dünyasi where we watched them make chocolate coated lokum (like Turkish delight) and they also served a delicious goats milk chocolate ice cream. Everyone then went home buzzing from their chocolate fix! Throughout the day we also got a 10% discount on any chocolate purchased which was great.

I am now back home - it will be a simple supper tonight!

* Do you know how Soho got it's name? Unlike Soho in New York whose name is derived from a shortened version of its location South Of Houston Street, the area of Soho in London was once a green hunting ground, and when the hunters set off on their horses with their dogs the command was Tally Ho to get the dogs going, and at the end of the hunt the command to call the dogs back was So Ho.