French Field Trip to the Chocolatrium

Where am I?

Paris?!

Mais non, malheureusement.

On the 2nd of May, 40 French students accompanied by 4 teachers(myself included) rode a "cheese" bus to an office park in West Berlin, NJ. 

Who knew there was a French chocolate factory less than 20 minutes from my home? The Chocolatrium is modelled after the original location in Normandie, France. It is a museum, production site, and outlet store for Michel Cluizel chocolates. The only other Michel Cluizel location on this side of the pond is on Fifth Avenue in NYC.

Here's my partner in crime, Mlle A.C.

 

Nicole, the only non-French employee welcomed us and served us our first sample as

 

Jacques reveals the first consumption of chocolat:

Jacques reveals a secret:

After sampling ganache, praline and having had lunch, Jacques took us on a tour of the museum. We begin at the entrance

 and proceed through a door covered in cocoa beans.

 A brief history of chocolate from it's discovery to the Industrial Age.

A look at Michel Cluizel and family.

A pâtissier working on the treats we'll enjoy later.

A freeze-dried cocoa pod. Did you know each pod contains 70 seeds, the exact amount needed to make a quality chocolate bar? Up top are the harvesting tools.

Cocoa beans, nibs, butter, powder 

The 5 plantations that provide Michel Cluizel fair-trade cocoa beans. "Premier Cru"

 

Here's some snapshots of everything we were served on our visit.

If you do end up visiting le chocolatrium, tell them Cherry Hill West sent you! Merci et bon appétit!