Salon du chocolat

Just in time for Easter, Zurich had the annual Salon du Chocolat this weekend. Mostly it is chocolate shops from all over giving samples, doing demonstrations, and selling their products. There are also a few vendors selling things like dried fruit and nougat (which made S very happy!) 

At the Sprüngli booth they were demonstrating writing these personal messages. 

S loves a chocolate fountain, and this was the biggest she has ever seen.

Every evening there is a chocolate fashion show. We didn't see it because we tried to avoid the crowds by going right when everything opened. But we did see some fashions on display. S objected to the white coat with the chocolate spheres because she should be wearing something under it.

Nougat and more nougat! 

Chocolate came in so many shapes: bunnies, ducks, chicks, shoes, purses, soccer balls, eggs, eggs full of eggs, egg being protected by a chicken, etc.

We saw all sorts of gift bags and baskets, too.

The truffles were dipped in chocolate then tossed into the powdered sugar while still hot. That surprised me. E and T were surprised by the champagne filling.

Another Sprüngli demonstration. Truffles are dipped and then rolled over their bumpy cooling rack to make them look cool and spiky. Notice the chocolate peacock, which impressed S

What did we get?

- nougat (classic, apple, and chocolate hazelnut)

- Moroccan pastries for R

- dried fruit (pomelo, hibiscus, and wasabi peanuts)

- an Easter surprise

- tin Easter eggs filled with jelly beans from Sprüngli for S, who wanted to collect all three colors and used her own money

- a tin Easter egg with a couple of chocolates inside from Honold for T, who wanted one so desperately he went to the counter and tried to pay with 70 cents he had in his pocket.

Favorite samples: 

A - milk chocolate hazelnut from Sprüngli

S - nougat!

E - mint chocolate from Hug (we have never see mint chocolate here before)

T - big marshmallow from Villars

L - big marshmallow from Villars

Least favorite samples:
E - champagne truffle
S - champagne truffle
T - wasabi peanut
L - loved it all!
A - Russian chocolates

I should have been suspicious of the Russian chocolate stand. I noticed that the salespeople were six foot tall plus blondes wearing sheer tops with black bras underneath. They didn't blend in with the Swiss in their chef's whites and aprons.