Discover !
It’s one of the world’s most beloved sweets, but few know much about it. At the Gourmet Chocolate Museum (Musée Gourmand du Chocolat) in Paris, taste your way through the evolution of chocolate as you trace its 4,000-year past, from mystical cocoa rituals in ancient Aztec tribes to the shiny chocolate treats you see gleaming in the store windows of posh Parisian chocolatiers. Sample a variety of chocolate products while witnessing how they’re made, and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate at the end (if option selected).
Highlights
- 1.5-hour self-guided tour of the Gourmet Chocolate Museum in Paris
- Learn about the 4,000-year history of chocolate, from the Aztecs to today
- Browse historical exhibits and watch chocolate-making demonstrations
- Taste up to 10 chocolate samples, including a cup of hot chocolate at the end (if option selected)
What you can expect
Enjoy chocolate tastings and demonstrations during your visit
Paris’ Gourmet Chocolate Museum (Musée Gourmand du Chocolat) is the Van Belle family’s third Choco-Story museum, after Bruges and Prague. Located in central Paris, this chocolate museum gives a rich glimpse at the evolution of chocolate. All the descriptive panels are in English, French and Spanish, and there are children’s activities for your little ones, including a treasure hunt.
On your self-guided tour of the 2,789-square-foot (850-sq-meter) museum, browse more than 1,000 original artifacts across numerous exhibits and demonstrations that recount the 4,000-year history of the cocoa bean in all its forms. Starting with the Olmecs, Mayas and Aztecs, learn about the important role cocoa played in ancient cultures, like how cocoa was used in mystical rituals.
Jump forward to the 1500s, when the Aztec emperor Montezuma introduced cocoa to Europe. Christopher Columbus was the first European to taste the tchocoatl drink, made from cocoa, but he didn’t really like it and thus paid little attention to chocolate. Go figure!
Fast-track to modern times to see how the chocolate-making process has streamlined. Watch demonstrations to discover the secret behind the shiny outer coat that makes chocolate treats so appealing, and taste some of the chocolate products made on-site. Enjoy the milky smoothness of Costa Rican chocolate, the superb melt-in-your-mouth fruitiness of Peruvian chocolate, the sweet aromas of cocoa beans from Vanuatu and more. Don’t feel too guilty about indulging today — as you’ll learn, chocolate has many health benefits!
At the end of your visit, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate (if option selected) and browse the museum shop to purchase any books, souvenirs or chocolate products you like.
Get our brochure and images @ https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-kGKYrRcrAmfll6eWdwSnBnRWV3amlsSlFVV0FpVWU5RXJYTVdIbThjbVVUcWVOdHZzUDQ&authuser=0
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