Chocolate lovers find an oasis<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you are
\ngoing to get.<\/p>\n
But true chocoholics would not agree with this famous quote
\ntaken from the Forrest Gump movie because, as long as it's
\nchocolate, will do just fine.<\/p>\n
And one box might not be enough, as chocolate lovers have
\nlined up for more than an hour to have their cravings for
\nchocolate satiated at the Jakarta Chocolate Expo 2005 that opened
\non Thursday.<\/p>\n
Visitors -- mostly women -- crowded in front of the Semanggi
\nExpo Hall in South Jakarta to lift their moods with a bite of
\nchocolate.<\/p>\n
Everybody seemed to be munching either biscuits, which they
\ndipped into a chocolate fountain that was a feature of the
\nexhibition, or the free treats offered by more than 30
\nparticipating confectioners and bakeries.<\/p>\n
For chocolate connoisseurs, there are only four basic food
\ngroups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and
\nchocolate truffles.<\/p>\n
Well, this expo serves them all, including pepper-flavored
\nchocolate -- which would disappoint those expecting a strong
\ntongue-burning sensation -- that its producer claimed was a hit
\nlast year in Europe.<\/p>\n
Aside from the help-yourself chocolate fountain, a seven-meter
\ntall chocolate castle made from 650 kilograms of chocolate and a
\nlife-size chocolate sculpture by renown artist Teguh Ostenrik
\nattracted most of the visitors.<\/p>\n
At the three-day event, the organizers will also be holding a
\nchocolate fashion competition for fashion school students as well
\nas a chef's competition.<\/p>\n
This third bi-annual expo initiated by Dutch-affiliated
\nchocolate manufacturers PT CERES Bandung and PT Freyabadi
\nIndotama seemed to not only lure chocolate lovers, but also those
\nin the cake business.<\/p>\n
\"I came all the way from Sukabumi and waited for two hours to
\nsee the event,\" said Mona, who works for a factory that produces
\nchocolate moldings, hoping that the exhibition would give her
\nsome insights into current chocolate trends.<\/p>\n
Dieter Speer from Tulip Chocolate explained that aside from
\nmaking the event a trade opportunity for those in chocolate-
\nrelated business, he aimed to educate people on how far the
\ncountry's chocolate industry had grown.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesian chocolate manufacturers can now produce top class
\nSwiss- or French-type chocolates that five-star hotels are
\nusing,\" he said.<\/p>\n
His company, one of the largest chocolatemakers in Indonesia,
\nproduces annually 9,500 tons of various kinds of chocolate
\nproducts, of which 40 percent was exported to other Asian
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
Dieter said that Indonesia should be proud as it was not just
\nthe world's third largest cacao producer, but also the fifth
\nlargest chocolate manufacturer in the world.<\/p>\n
However, several of the largest booths in the expo displayed
\nimported chocolates, and more people seemed to be crowding around
\nthose rather than the locally made treats.(003)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/chocolate-lovers-find-an-oasis-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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