What To Do In Florence: Artisan Chocolate Fair

If you ever happen to be in Florence in February, check out the Fiera del Cioccolato Artigianale (aka, the chocolate fair). It lasts 10 days and is an exhibition of Italian and foreign chocolatiers. With samplings (that I happily participated in), shows, and workshops, this is quite the event in Florence. 

Drool over these pictures that I took on Valentine's Day and discover your inner chocolate-loving self.

(In case I didn't mention it, Italians have a minor obsession with pistachio. It's a common flavor to find for gelato (haven't tried it yet) and is on the equivalent level of, say, hazelnut -- or in Italian, nocchio. So pistachio is a common theme you'll see.)

Walking closely to the chocolate ensures that you'll get plenty of sampling offers. Try them all! The rich and flavorful chocolate will get to you through a variety of textures, sweetness, and meltiness in your mouth. Fortunately, that was enough for my taste buds, and I miraculously survived this without making any purchases. It wasn't as pricey as it could've been, but it definitely wasn't your average affordable chocolate. :)

The pistachio with chocolate is surprisingly a great combination. 

As we venture on, the chocolate starts getting more specialized. 

Chocolate in the form of guitars, scissors, tools...

As usual, technology is not too far away. A chocolate iPhone or tablet? Check.

Beautiful macaroons were not exempt from this fair. They're €1 each, which is almost half of what it costs at the L'Audre here in Florence.

Want chocolate that looks like pizza? Don't worry, they have that, too.

Now, these strawberries. If you are within 8 feet of this stand, you will smell them. Fresh, ripe, and sweet strawberries at their finest moment. It was a tempting €4 to spend for a cup with chocolate and whipped cream!

At this point, I've become the extreme tourist, getting into all sorts of awkward photography positions to capture these photos. So focused on my lens, I didn't realize the guy at the stand was trying to also get into the photo…

… so I took another one with him in it. Like most Italians, he was very enthusiastic and friendly.

I might be turning into a chocolate snob. The chocolate fair really set the ambiance of Valentine's Day here in Florence. Coincidence? I think not.
Now go and eat some chocolate. San Valentino felice!

"Chocolate is the first luxury. It has so many things wrapped up in it: Deliciousness in the moment, childhood memories, and that grin-inducing feeling of getting a reward for being good."