So today I met with some french friends and we checked out a HUGE chocolate exhibit called Salon du Chocolat (on the website it claims to be the WORLDS LARGEST EVENT DEDICATED TO CHOCOLATE!!!).  This exhibit was packed!  People from all over came to see chocolate from all over the world!  I saw chocolate vendors from Indonesia to Côte d’ivoire to Brazil to Japan to Belgium! This wasn’t just any chocolate exhibit: in addition to chocolates, hot chocolate, chocolate bark, chocolate truffles, chocolate fondue, white chocolate, milk chocolate, caramel chocolate, chocolate ice cream, chocolate statues, etc., there were some simply ridiculous ways of using chocolate : Chocolate olive oil, Chocolate epilation ( a form of waxing ), and  chocolate hand soap.   There was live music, a cooking demonstration, and tons of free samples.

In America, I feel no guilt taking free samples and walking away.  However, in France adults generally only take a sample if they have an intent on buying the product.  The booths often kept their samples behind the table so you’d have to ask for them, making it more awkward to just run away after tasting.  Hence the title of this blog  Goût ‘n’ Go. The word for “taste” in french is “goûter” so we would get a taste, and try to awkwardly and quickly run away from the table before they guilted us into buying something.

Some highlights include:  the absolutely richest hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted 🙂 , lemon-basil sorbet (surprisingly tasty and refreshing!) , Hazelnut Bailey’s , and  chocolate-orange fondue.