British
Columbia's Chocolate Treats
by Jean Sorensen
Valentine’s Day is synonymous with chocolates and
there’s no better place to experience some of this rich treat than in
Vancouver. Raw chocolate is developed by curing and roasting the
purple cocoa beans with the same care and dedication that wine-masters
exercise when choosing grapes for fine wines, says Charlie Sigvardsen,
from Charlie’s Chocolate factory in Burnaby. Good chocolate melts on
the tongue and should not be waxy or be gritty in the mouth. British
Columbia chocolate makers blend these raw chocolates and experiment
with various ganaches (centres) ranging from handpicked local fruit to
ice-wines.
Chocolate events and attractions abound in
Vancouver. Here’s a rundown of some great Valentine’s places to visit
and chocolates to buy:
Charlie’s Chocolate River
Charlie’s
Chocolate Factory, located in Burnaby features a chocolate
river of 136kg circulated chocolate and is a favourite with visitors.
The factory offers viewing of the chocolate production area from its
retail store, and has hundreds of Valentine’s Day offerings including
chocolates in an edible box. Each Valentine’s, the factory creates and
displays a 70kg chocolate heart that is donated to a community cause.
The Absolute Chocolate Binge
Step off the plane at Vancouver International
Airport and soak away your jet-lag with a chocolate and raspberry
scented hydrotherapy treatment, or a chocolate nutty scrub exfoliating
treatment at the
Absolute Spa -- located in the Fairmont Vancouver Airport.
The spa also offers chocolate binge packages of body care products.
The Chocoholic Buffet
Fleuri
Restaurant, located in the Vancouver Sutton Place hotel, is
famous for its 20-item chocolate dessert buffet served Thursdays,
Fridays and Saturdays. Offerings include chocolate truffle cake,
chocolate pecan pie, triple chocolate croissant pudding and more.
The buffet can be sampled as part of the hotel’s Sinful in the City
package that includes a one night stay plus champagne cocktails and
rose-petals for your bath. Call the Vancouver Sutton Place Hotel at
604-682-5511.
Chocolate Shoo-Ins
North
Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain offers an evening of snow shoeing
fun ending with chocolate fondue back at the lodge. Once the snowshoes
are off back at the lodge, there’s the fondue dinner with fruit dipped
in chocolate as dessert. Groups of six or more required and the lodge
provides the snowshoes, headlamps, fondue plus guide. Advance booking
of 24 hours required. Contact Grouse Mountain guest services at
604-980-9311.
Mount Seymour also offers a two-hour snow shoe fondue with the
Saturday night chocolate fondue under an open sky. Advanced bookings
are required. Call 604-986-2261 for further details.
Chocolate Fests Galore
British Columbia offers chocolate festivals packed
with chocolate, sculpting, tasting, and children’s events. The
West Coast Chocolate Festival, a delicious event spread over
four days in Port Moody, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam raises money for
youth in the arts. Special events include the ports-and-chocolate
tasting, chocolate demonstrations and a chocolate factory tour.
This year’s festival is slated for Oct. 21-24.
