This past has been much more class-filled, so I don't have as many exciting things to report.
However, as a field trip in French class, I did embark on my second chocolate factory tour in the span of three days! I mean, when in Switzerland, why not?
This tour was of a much smaller company than last time at Cailler - we went to the Chocolaterie du Rapp in Nyon and were greeted by the owner himself. Monsieur Rapp personally walked us through the entire chocolate-making process, with visual aids and some nasty-looking cocoa plants preserved in jars of formaldehyde:
Doesn't look quite as appetizing, huh
Fortunately, we then moved on to the more delicious parts: drinking chocolate straight from a spigot and learning to make chocolate Easter bunnies! Needless to say, I polished off more than a few cups of pure liquid chocolate.
Sippin' on straight chocolate
Custom-made Easter candy
I should also mention that I got an honorary degree in chocolate-making.
So forget about finishing that BC degree at this point, I'm all set!
Eventually, I'm going to have to write a paper in French on my chocolate factory experience, but it's well worth the work. And of course I have enough free samples left to tide me over for at least a few days.
Although the factory tour was heaven for an admitted chocoholic like me, I did have another culinary experience worth noting this week. I had already had fondue (Switzerland's most famous meal) my first night here, but my host family cooked another traditional Swiss dish for me on Thursday night: Raclette!
Although the factory tour was heaven for an admitted chocoholic like me, I did have another culinary experience worth noting this week. I had already had fondue (Switzerland's most famous meal) my first night here, but my host family cooked another traditional Swiss dish for me on Thursday night: Raclette!
The typical setup is this little electric grill, as you can see above. Everyone gets a small square pan and fills it with a square of Raclette cheese. You then melt the cheese and pour it over whatever you would like: potatoes, vegetables, pickled goods, or little meats. As a potato (and occasional cheese) enthusiast, this was right up my alley.
Hmm, this post makes it look like I'm really preoccupied with food...but when you're living here, it's hard not to be!
Next update will be ROME so get excited for even more pictures of food (and of course, beautiful architecture and friends as well)
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