By Alexandra Redisch in Perugia, Italy
Recently, while visiting Umbria, I had several choices of things to see and do: there was wine and handicraft and medieval towns and nature and sports and history and art and food and chocolate and more wine and…
Wait a minute! Chocolate? Mmm…. chocolate! From then on, that was my only focus. In fact, I’ve forgotten everything else I did in Umbria. Nah, kidding! I remember… I think.
Perugina Chocolate Factory
Ten blogger colleagues and I were given a tour of Perugina Chocolate Factory. You may be familiar with Baci – Perugina’s delectable chocolate kisses!
“Say I love you the Italian way!”
We saw a very interesting video of the history of the factory and the history of chocolate, then we got down to business at the Scuola del Cioccolato. The words sound good enough to eat, don’t they? Say it with me: Scuola del Cioccolato. Nom nom!
We were each handed an apron, then two slightly intimidating chefs quickly showed us the ropes. It didn’t look too difficult. It really didn’t. But it was.
See how clean my apron is? Well, not for long...
How to make chocolate
First we’re told to slice the chocolate. No problemo. Then we melt the chocolate. OK. Mix the filling: cream, butter, lemon peel, white chocolate and Limoncello… mmm… Limoncello…
Enter difficult bit number one: It is very important that the chocolate has the right temperature when you pour it into the mould. A mere one degree off, and it won’t work, the chocolate will then get a white covering and taste bad. To cool off the chocolate, you pour it onto the table and spread it around using a machete/spatula-thingy, which looks awfully professional.
After a bit of spreading, me and my chocolate making partner-in-crime, Jai (see Jai’s fun and fabulous video of the whole process), are told our chocolate is too cold. Back into the pan and onto the stove. But we leave it too long and now it’s too warm. A “pah!” from the chef.
Finally reaching optimal temperature, the chocolate goes into the mould. Then we pour it out again.
Wait,… what? Pour it out?
Since we’re making chocolates with a filling, we first need to create the outer shell. After filling the forty little holes in the mould, we simply tip the whole thing upside down. Extreme mess and chocolate everywhere – table, apron, shoes, floor, hands, face, you name it. The chef comes over to examine. I hear him tell another blogger hers are “very perfect”. Like a toddler showing off a drawing, I show him mine. He says “meh… is OK”. Sad Alex.
After leaving the chocolate to sit comfortably in the fridge for 15 minutes, it’s time for the filling. Mmm… filling! We squeeze it into the chocolate shell, and again the chef comes over for a look. “Very good” is the verdict this time, and I feel my heart swell. Then another feeling rears its head: competitiveness. I want “very perfect”. I need it!
We slap on more chocolate to cover the base and pop it back into the fridge for another 15 minutes. All that is left to do now, is get the finished chocolates out of the mould by quickly turning it upside down and banging it on the table, ice cube style.
I’m amazed. It’s even more beautiful than I had imagined. It’s perfect. It must be!
The guy next to us has messed up; there are air bubbles in his chocolate, they look termite-infested. He won’t get a “perfect”-verdict, I think to myself, with just a touch of schadenfreude. The chef inspects our work with the concentration of a jeweller examining a fine gem. He beams at us and says those longed for words: “Very perfect!” Insane sensation of pride!
Is it completely ridiculous that I feel prouder of these chocolates than of my Masters degree?
What is that I hear? You want to make chocolate, too, you say? You can, my sweet, you can. Have a look at Perugina’s chocolate school for courses. Or try it at home – my friend Michael Turtle, choc full of it, wrote it all down for you. Let me know if yours come out very perfect!
Disclosure: I was a guest of Umbria Regional Tourism Board. As ever, all opinions and chocolaty mess are deliciously mine.
What outstanding fun! Those Perugina chocolates look wonderful. NYC has a Chocolate Show every year and is one you may not want to miss–if you like chocolate
Thank you for sharing.
Charu recently posted..Celebrating my 10th Wedding Anniversary: A Weekend in New Paltz (Part One)
Been meaning to return to New York. This sounds like an excellent reason.
Looked like the perfect place for a chocoholic Alexandra! Great post and photos!
Yeah, I think that suited her just fine.
Yummy! That’s what I’d call delicious. It reminds me on the french movie ‘Chocolate’. I think I’m going to eat some dark chocolate for dinner:)
Karina recently posted..Kanu-Wochenende
Lasse Hallström is such an excellent director. Love that film – everyone and every place in it.
Wow that looks like a blast…There was a chocolate seminar in Orlando and I’m kinda bummed now that I skipped it:)
D.J. – The World of Deej recently posted..Typhoon Lagoon – Deej Does A Water Park
Hope you get another opportunity.
Mmm, this makes me want to be back in Perugina and with all these chocolates. I can’t believe that after this day I said I was never eating chocolate again (I had a few too many samples) but seeing that melted chocolate brings back some yummy memories
This does sound like fun! Did you like some chocolate off the spoon before pouring out the batch that was too hot? Sounds like a very dangerous adventure
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista recently posted..5 Guiding Lights of Europe!
Just been to a chocolate school in Torino and failed miserably even though all we had to do was decorate a plate of chocolate mousse. You have to be a natural talent to achieve this level of success:)
ItalianNotes recently posted..Carpi behind the facade
Oh my gosh! It’s so delicious! I am a big fan of real chocolate, and your shots are really, really… I just got hungry. Hungry for some black chocolate.
Rita recently posted..Mein neues Liebling: Sophie!
All that sounds very delicious
but also very difficult! I think I’ll still buy mine ready made, by professionals 
but I would like to try it making those, it sounds like fun; usually anything messy, is fun!
Jarmo recently posted..The Hanoi Bia Hoi Corner
This looks like so much fun! I’d love to learn how to make chocolate…I can just smell it reading your post =)
Andrea recently posted..6 Questions People Ask Us – Answered!
I’d heard that making chocolate was very difficult and I’m not sure I’d have the patience for it – perhaps once as you are doing in a cooking school and not at home where you’d be cleaning up the mess for hours.
I lover your description of chocolates that look termite infested.
Leigh recently posted..#FriFotos – My Idea of Paradise
Delicious! This makes me eager for my upcoming visit to a chocolate company here in the San Francisco area. I hope my chocolates will turn out so beautifully.
Cathy Sweeney recently posted..Culture Curious in Chicago
Jeez, only ONE degree off and it’s ruined? How did you ever get it right?? No wonder you were so proud of it.
Did you get to eat our creations at the end?
Christy @ Technosyncratic recently posted..The Sheep of Sacoue – Adorable Baby Farm Animals in France
This looks like fun! How much did you get to eat?
InsideJourneys recently posted..Weekly Photo Challenge: Blue
This would be so much fun!
Mouthwatering, I am so addicted to chocolate and Baci Perugina are really some of my favourite!
Angela recently posted..Bulls, horses and roses to celebrate Saint Catherine of Alexandria in Sardinia
Some people actually want to eat chocolates with air bubbles, you know. Maybe “the guy next to you” did it on purpose!
It looks and sounds amazing and you made me crave for it! Thanks for sharing your chocolate adventure with us. Love it!
Perugina chocolates are definitely one of my favorite chocolates! Your chocolate making experience seemed really fun! You’re so lucky!
Elena Anne recently posted..Exercise and Arthritis: Prevention and tips
What fun and tasty I imagine.
Emme Rogers recently posted..Egyptian Daily Diaries: Red Boot Roamancing on the Red Sea
wow..a good entry about chocolates…love chocolates a lot.
Yum! This looks like such a fun, tasty experience – I want to do it!
Wanderplex recently posted..Lost your camera? Here are some steps you can take to get it back
Nothing is going to come between me and doing this next time I am in Europe….!!!!!
Jade Johnston – OurOyster.com recently posted..The Best Way To Discover The Pinnacles
YUM!!!!!
Wandering Educators recently posted..Artist of the Month: Cherie Dacko
Okay, I’m seriously drooling. This is going on the bucket list right now.
Reena @ Wanderplex recently posted..18 tips for visiting a city during a major festival or event
You had me at “chocolate.”
Michael Figueiredo recently posted..Off the Beaten Path Europe: San Marino