Chocolate Capital of Southwest France
Every year the city of Bayonne, France, celebrates chocolate in its continuation of centuries-old expertise handed down through history. This year’s Journées du Chocolat will be May 13, 14, and 15, 2021.
With the onset of the Inquisition in the late 1400s, Jews — persecuted in Spain — fled the country to become refugees in Bayonne. They brought their chocolate-making expertise with them, and established Bayonne as the chocolate capital of southwest France.
Just to whet your appetite (since American Road Trips Foodies can’t — yet — travel to France), the program for this delicious event includes guided tours and the history of chocolate making, conferences, workshops, cookery courses, and tastings.
A couple of highlights:
Sample the work of artisan chocolatiers as part of their open day events
Visit the laboratory of the Cazenave chocolate factory: this Bayonne institution produces its chocolate using traditional techniques beginning with an uncompromising selection of cocoa beans and other natural ingredients. Roasting, crushing, grinding, blending, refining, and soaking will all become familiar as you watch the process
There’s more information about the Journées du Chocolat at the Bayonne Tourist Office.
(Photo courtesy of L’atelier du chocolat à Bayonne and Chocolat Cazenave)
