I was both delighted and honoured when Doreen asked me to take part in her Chocolatour to promote a book of hers that was released in the fall titled “Chocolatour: A Quest for the World’s Best Chocolate.” Not only does she carry a similar passion for travel, but her love for the world’s best chocolate made me even more eager to open the pages of her new book.

Possibly better explained in her own words,

“Chocolatour takes you around the world, in search of the most beautiful, innovative, and delectable chocolate and noteworthy chocolate events.”

I am sitting here currently drooling at the thought of all the wonderful possibilities and remarkable places I could take myself and my blog. Reading Doreen’s stories makes me want to secretly visit some of my future travel destinations simply to indulge in their culture of chocolate, delicious mouth-watering creamy milk chocolate.

Photo Credit: Roberta R.

So what’s so great about the Chocolatour?

After reading her book of – 170 pages front to back in less than a day, I take pride in the fact that I myself have already discovered which ‘chocolate personality’ I desire the most. I learned throughout this book that there are actually many different types of chocolate personalities, each suiting the mood, craving or situation you may be in.

Without a doubt, 100% of the time, I will always crave creamy, milk chocolate hazelnut filled chocolate from any European candy shop.

Is it bizarre that this is possibly the most seamless blog I have ever written? I am literally sitting here with a smile on my face trying to think of which candy shop I can run out to after I finish this blog post so I can go indulge in some ‘love drug.’

Doreen has planned to create more than just the exploration of chocolate across Europe and the UK. This first book is a written volume of 1 through 3, later on exploring the wonders of the Caribbean, Asia, Middle East and much, much more.

Some Chocolatour Teasers and Tips for You

• Did you know that chocolate is the only food that actually caters to all 5 of our senses? Crazy!
• Did you know that cocoa is a fruit?!
• Did you know that in London, England they have a ‘Chocolate Week & Chocolate unwrapped’ event?! I think I need to reconsider where I will be spending my time come October… Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany? or perhaps Chocolate Week in London, England?! To be honest… I think chocolate in my world beats beer any day of the week!

From start to finish Doreen has really explored all the wonderful that chocolate has to offer. Beginning with the history of cocoa, Doreen explains her experiences in 4 distinct regions which produce chocolate liquor, cocoa butter and anything else to do with chocolate!

My personal favorite chapter is the ‘Health Benefits of Chocolate,’ and I am now seriously convinced that ignoring my chocolate cravings is NOT the best solution – indulge, indulge, indulge… YES PLEASE! 🙂

Diving right into the ‘best of’ Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, Doreen shines light on some of the most world-renowned chocolate makers, chocolatiers and chocolate masters.

Explore wonderful festivals, events, museums, attractions, food pairing, recipes and more in Doreen’s first volume of the Chocolatour.

If you’re looking for some other awesome European tours, check out some of my personal blog posts: Germany’s Western Fairy Tale Route and 1 Week Ireland Road Trip.