Chocoholics unite

Last weekend we had about 48 hours in Melbourne while en route to Adelaide. (More about our Adelaide adventures later.) We spent a very enjoyable couple of hours on Saturday morning at a 'brunch tour' run by a company called Chocoholic Tours! The journey started at Laurent Patisserie in Little Collins Street, where an effervescent young woman called Jess provided the nine participants with hot drinks and sumptuous cakes ...

My chocolate mousse cake. Oh yeah!

... and gave a talk (with illustrations and samples) on how chocolate is produced. We then proceeded to Koko Black in the Royal Arcade for a chat with a chcocolatier and more delicious samples, and to Haigh's Chocolates in the Block Arcade for yet more chocolate facts and tastings.

During the tour we tasted cacao nibs, which are chunks of pure cocoa obtained after the cocoa beans are roasted and opened. Both Andrew and I liked them, and we've now bought some to take home and experiment with in cooking. Recipes may follow ...

An excellent way to spend a Melbourne morning. Recommended!