Mmmmm chocolate (cue excessive drooling). The Rehoboth Beach Chocolate Festival returns this weekend, which means sinfully delicious chocolate treats will be at our disposal, and with an impending winter storm tomorrow, it’s safe to say we will be more than ready to escape the house Saturday for a chocolate excursion in Rehoboth Beach, DE.
It’s the 25th year for the annual Chocolate Festival, and if you’ve never been before, you are certainly in for a treat, literally, as you will be sampling a wide array of chocolate treats prepared by the leading professional chefs of the area. See, now you’re drooling too!
When: Saturday, March 7, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Where: Rehoboth Beach Convention Center
Pricing/Additional Info: General admission is $10 and includes 10 chocolate tastes. Children under 12 are $5 and will receive 5 chocolate tastes. New this year are VIP tickets. Limited to 200 tickets, the VIP tasting reception is from 11am until 1pm and includes 25 chocolate tastes for $20. Tickets are available online at downtownrb.com or in person at Snyder’s Candy. Ticket sales will benefit Rehoboth Beach Main Street and The Rehoboth Public Library.
What: Chocolate of course! This year the rules have changed a bit, with the festival leaning more towards professional chocolatiers rather than amateurs. Other rules have changed as well to hone the festival from an all-you-can-eat chocolate experience to a more professional-level chocolate competition. For example, competitors are required to bring a minimum of 500 tastes per entry to ensure that a broad base of tasters get to experience their entry. In conjunction, attendees are limited in the number of tastes. Judging has also changed slightly, with professional food judges on hand this year. Expect to see entries from a broad range of area chefs. Categories include Brownie, Cake, Candy, Cookie, Pie, Other, and Showcase Piece.
Fun Facts: We’re chocolate lovers here at ShoreBread, taking it in just about any form we can get it, from dark to milk, covered in sea salt or nuts, or melted over fruit or pretzels. Chocolate cake, brownies, candy, cookies…you get the idea. But did you know that American consumers average 10 to 12 pounds of chocolate a year?! We believe it. Chocolate’s origins lie in the cacao seeds of Latin America. In fact, Mayans were likely the first people to use chocolate, using cacao for currency, but also mixing it to use as a popular drink. It wasn’t until the 1850s that chocolate started being consumed in solid form. Chocolate has certainly come a long way since then, and this Saturday is an excellent chance to try some inventive chocolate recipes. Enjoy everyone!
