chocolate galore in bariloche

Call us obsessed, but chocolate has been on our minds over the past few months. There was the devastating news that Cadbury was being taken over. Then there’s lent which means, for some of us, giving up the good stuff – this is not easy at BT HQ because we’re all a big fan of Colin the Caterpillar chocolate cake. Then we hear about an apparent fat-free chocolate made with water. And now Easter is around the corner; its going to be chocolate galore! Lucky for us (and you), our new intern Caroline knows the best place for it.

“A friend sent me a link about a chocolate festival happening at the Southbank this weekend, and it set my mind thinking about that delicious food of the Gods. Then I started thinking about the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted- not the pretty little truffles in Belgium, nor the creamy slabs in Switzerland or even the rich cocoa-filled bars in Venezuela. No, for me, the best chocolate comes from Argentina.

Argentina is not really known for chocolate- we all know about the amazing steaks, sexy Tango dancers and grumpy gauchos, but not chocolate. If you head down to the Argentine Lake District in north Patagonia, to the gorgeous little city of Bariloche nestled in the foothills of the spectacular Andes mountain range, you will find chocolatiers by the dozen.

The first chocolate ‘factory’ was set up in Bariloche by an Italian immigrant called Aldo Fenoglio, in his own home (think more mixing bowls and wooden spoons than Willie Wonka). This home-made process still persists, but on a huge scale. The Fenoglio family still sell chocolate from a fairy tale shop on Bariloche’s main street, Calle Mitre.

Walk down the street and you will see an array of normal looking department stores. Look closer and you’ll notice these department stores are actually selling chocolate, and chocolate alone. You can pop in and sample the flavours, and buy a carefully wrapped little bag, but don’t overdo it in the first shop- there are many others!

So, for chocolate lovers, Bariloche is a dream come true.”

Get in touch if you’d like to taste the mouthwatering chocolates of Bariloche.