World's Top Chocolate Cities

Did You know that?

Hi Friends,

Today I was reading a newspaper where I found something very interesting and thought it is worth sharing with hub pages community. It was an article written about chocolate cities. Well, these cities are certainly not made up of chocolate rather they are famous in all over the World due to possessing a nice history of chocolate attached with them. :-)

I then carefully researched on many media and found the biggest chocolate cities in the world which very obviously not on the same ranks according to different explorers but somehow, results were so close to the list I am sharing with you. I don't claim that the information I am sharing here has been obtained from some governmental records yet it is the information that is normally widely accepted. I have made a note of top five cities having chocolaty culture which I am going to present turn by turn, you can say in the way of rankings they bear, for your convenience. Let's start with the Brussels that I suggest the topper of the list.

1. Brussels, Belgium

Belgium is entirely a chocolate paradise, having about 16 chocolate museums, yes, it really amazed me, 12 chocolate factories and more than 2,100 chocolate shops, wow. Brussels, however, tops the list of five major cities in the chocolate World. Two of the biggest chocolate companies in the world, Godiva and Leonidas, as well as many smaller chocolate boutiques reside in Brussels. While all kinds of chocolate treats can be found in Brussels, pralines top the list. If you visit Brussels, make sure you go to the Musee du Cocao et du Chocolate where you can learn how chocolate is made. :-)

2. Zurich, Switzerland

No doubt, Switzerland is the country that consumes more chocolate per person than any other country in the world, but still it does not over take Brussels. With World-renowned companies like Cailler, Toblerone, Lindt, Treuscher and Sprungli calling it home, Zurich is obviously a city that is the heart of chocolate production in the country. The Swiss Travel System, for a truly unique experience, offers an excursion on “The Swiss Chocolate Train” B-). The train departs from Montreux and makes a stop in Broc where guests get a tour of the Cailler factory.
By the way, I am just having a white-chocolate today by Lindt ;-) and truly, it is really delicious.

3. Barcelona, Spain

Third on the list comes Barcelona.The Spanish were the first Europeans to experience chocolate that was brought back from the New World, and Barcelona has been a center for chocolate lovers ever since. Meanwhile, Barcelona can boast that the first chocolate making machine was built in Barcelona in 1780. Barcelona has built a museum dedicated to chocolate, the Museo de La Xocolata, which features everything made with chocolate including chocolate sculptures.

4. Oaxaca, Mexico

The ancient Meso-americans were the world's first chocoholics and the country has continued to produce chocolate ever since. Today, residents in Oaxaca have embraced chocolate as a part of their culture and while on a visit to Oaxaca, you can't walk down the street without being offered chocolate, whether it is a mere chocolate candy, a nicely baked chocolate pastry or hot chocolate. While there are major chocolate producers based here, a lot of Oaxaca's chocolate is made with old family recipes the old-fashioned way, ground either by hand or with electric grinders and mixed by hand.

5. Hershey, Pennsylvania

5th comes the Hershey. Considered the sweetest place on earth, the Derry Church town was renamed Hershey in 1906 due to the popularity of Hershey chocolates. Both The Hershey Company and the H. B. Reese Candy Company reside in this town. “Chocolate-town, USA” has branded itself as an American chocolate center with some popular chocolaty attractions including Hershey's Chocolate World, The Hershey Story Museum and the Chocolate Spa.

I hope this is going to be a wonderful information for you readers. If this is so, then don't feel hesitated to rate this hub up. :-) Enjoy yourselves.