Those present at the launch of the latest offerings from Lindt now know much more about chocolate than we thought possible, including how it started in 1638 as a bitter and crunchy food, how in the 1800's it became the chocolate we know today and the five steps to eating chocolate.
Yes, five - apparently just putting it in your mouth is wrong, wrong, wrong.
Lindt’s Australian Master Chocolatier, Swiss-born Thomas Schnetzler, took guests through the steps of just looking at it first, touching it [he suggested rubbing it between your thumb and index finger], then listening to it as you break it into smaller sections, smelling it before finally eating - but you are supposed to let it melt on the tongue, not actually chew it.
While this took great restraint (you try it) we heartily embraced the recommendation of having it with red wine, port or sherry at the end of an evening meal.
We did a taste test of eight different chocolate pieces, following those five steps. Then we were then presented with the latest two offerings in the dark chocolate block range, Excellence Roasted Almond and Excellence Ginger. Both are definite winners.
We also learned, when being told where cocoa trees grow around the world, including a plantation here in far north Australia.
Schnetzler, who has the arduous job of traveling around Australia holding these functions, mentioned that the company has plans to open two cafes in Melbourne this year, which will take the Australian total to six (all of the other four cafes are in Sydney), and that Australia is the only country in the world which has Lindt cafes. This is means that we are definitely the lucky country.
At the moment the cafes are looking to open by mid July for Collins Street and late August for Chadstone.