Readers of this blog know that chocolate is one of my favorite things, and so I am really looking forward to the seventh iteration of the DC Chocolate Festival this Saturday. Like so many other events, it was put on hold for two pandemic years, but now we can resume satisfying both our taste buds and curiosity about one of the New World’s greatest gifts to us all.
I covered the Festival back in 2016 when it was held in a hotel’s meeting space. It has since moved to La Maison Française, the cultural arm of the French Embassy. It sounds like a perfect place for this event: a big gallery for the vendors (samples!), meeting rooms for the sessions, a large auditorium for panel discussions, and an outdoor area for picnics or just enjoying the (fingers-crossed) nice spring weather.
There will be over 30 vendors who will sell and sample their wares. The makers range from local to international, but all are united in their passion for crafting the best product possible.
There will be learning opportunities throughout the day. Classes on beverage pairings, “cool hidden [chocolate] facts,” Mayan cacao culture, and flavor perception are just some of the sessions on offer. And in this town of policy wonks, there will be a discussion of responsibility and sustainability in the chocolate production chain.
The Seventh DC Chocolate Festival, Saturday, April 27 at La Maison Française, 4101 Reservoir Rd, NW, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.