World Chocolate Expo

The World Chocolate Expo is sort of a misnomer.  Yes, there is a ton of chocolate glistening and waiting for your enjoyment.  But there are also many fascinating and diverse vendors selling all sorts of goods, perfect timing for the holidays and last-minute presents.  The Expo is similar to the New York City Chocolate Show, but the venue is more spacious (Lexington Armory) and wandering around is way more comfortable and interesting.

We wove up and down the rows meticulously, taking in all the vendors and their offerings.  First, we were greeted by flavored fudges.  I found it intriguing that they served their fudges in vats, not unlike ice cream or decorative gelato.  They had some beautiful and tasty fudge morsels that reminded me of my trip to Fudge Kitchen in Bath and in Oxford in the UK: they have beautiful logs of fudge with awesome flavors (rum raisin, orange, strawberry, etc.) and sell them in fat slices the size of your fist.  I was so tempted to buy some to bring home, but I wasn't sure how long it would last in my suitcase...or if I would eat them all before I got home anyway.

For the next several vendors, we had some pies, pastries, and more chocolate. And then, we reached a booth that sold no food at all!  Instead, they hawked knives.  The Cutco station had a cutting board and allowed us to test their knives.  Indeed, they were very sharp and cut very well (I didn't know I could have fun cutting celery and grapes and potatoes!), but I'd say I'd have to wait until my salary was in the six-digit region until I could afford even one of these knives!  If you are into cooking, though, Cutco knives would be a good investment.

 

One of the best booths was Mitchmallows, which sold adorable cubes of flavored marshmallows.  The peppermint and eggnog marshmallows we sampled were soft and sweet and completely addictive.  I was also pretty mesmerized by the visual presentation, which looked like it was marketed to my demographic, oh, say, ten years ago when everything I liked was Hello Kitty and Blue Bear.

Two random shout-outs: the two things I ended up buying had nothing to do with chocolate at all.  I bought two jars of a garlic balsamic chutney from Tortured Orchard - two jars because it is just that good.  It is super sweet, but with a little bit of tang from the balsamic and an underlying, lasting garlicky kick.  This stuff would be ideal for glazing meat or veggies or making into a salad dressing (which I have since done).  I also bought a garlic dip by Go Go...which I never knew could exist, but tasted really good.  It's based on a Greek dish, skordalia, which is a "zesty, unique dip and condiment" according to their website.  All I know it it tasted like a very garlicky hummus, but without the funkiness of raw garlic.  The taste was actually quite mellow and pleasant.

And so this Chocolate Expo came and went but I will definitely be looking forward to the next one!