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Post:Hanh Kim
There are approximately 2,000 chocolate shops in this country of only 10 million people. Most of the world's most famous chocolate brands are produced in Bruges, such as Hans Burie, Guylian, Neuhaus, Galler, and Chocolatier Manon. Every few meters, visitors will encounter a candy shop overflowing with chocolates of every flavor, style, and size. Chocolate factories, chocolate shops, and chocolate museums are all included in the itineraries of this charming city.
Choco-story is the name of the most famous museum in Bruges. Here, visitors will have the opportunity to learn all about chocolate: cocoa bean samples, chocolate-making tools, statues of the Maya people (the first to discover the cocoa tree), chocolate sculptures, legends about the chocolate goddess, and more. In addition, visitors can even learn to make chocolate themselves under the guidance of museum staff.
At Choco-story, the development of chocolate is recreated in a fascinating way. The cacao tree was discovered by the Maya around 4000 BC. At that time, they knew how to mix cacao beans with hot water, pepper, and salt to create a drink called "Xocoatl" (meaning bitter water). The importance of cacao increased when the Maya and Aztec discovered that cacao butter could heal burns, cure stomach ailments, and even neutralize snakebites. Many surviving documents show that cacao beans were an important unit of currency for the Maya and Aztec at that time. Ten beans could buy a rabbit, and two beans could buy a chicken egg.
When Columbus discovered America, the Spanish quickly saw a new source of profit in the trade of cocoa beans from the Americas to Europe. They replaced pepper with sugar, making chocolate – a drink made from cocoa beans – sweet, and its consumption became a fashionable trend among European nobility. Chocolate was introduced to Belgium in the mid-17th century, where its flavor underwent a transformation, becoming more delicious and alluring, and its enjoyment elevated to an art form. Belgians have their own secrets to ensure their chocolate consistently holds a unique position in terms of quality. They use premium cocoa butter, along with special additives and strict production standards, to create the finest chocolate bars.
Bruges is not only famous for its chocolate, but also for its ancient architecture, which has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's also known as the "Venice of the North" due to its intricate network of canals. Statistics show that the number of tourists in Bruges is always double its population, making it the most attractive and important destination in the country of chocolate.
