Take a tour to the Shanghai Chocolate Factory!
In 2014, Josef Zotter, the previous owner of the Jade Chocolate Factory in Austria, sent his daughter Julia to China, determined to renovate a textile mill from the last century on the Huangpu River to a chocolate theatre for the community. Ever since, Zotter’s method of commercializing his chocolate factory has received great recognition.
The Jade Chocolate Factory is located in the center of the Huangpu River square. Before the visitors enter the factory, they are informed about the chocolate theory by watching a short film that briefly introduces the Zotter’s family business. In addition, the visitors are also able to understand more about the process of selecting various materials, such as coconuts and cocoa beans, for producing chocolate.
After the short film, the tour guide gives the visitors a detailed explanation of the process of making chocolate. The tour guide will then pass a spoon to each visitor, offering them the chance to directly experience the whole process by tasting samples of chocolate at each stage, from cocoa beans to chocolate bars. At the very first stage, visitors taste the cocoa beans. Although the beans are slightly bitter, the attractive aroma of chocolate can already be distinguished. After being carefully grinded and heated, the cocoa beans are turned into sweet cocoa paste, which will be packed into containers similar to fountains. Visitors can taste them by pulling a rod at the bottom. Throughout the whole tasting process, the visitor will realize that making real chocolate requires time and effort.
After, the visitors will enter the display area. The is where all kinds of finished chocolate bars are placed in bowls: chocolate with dried blue plum, ginger, pineapple, coconut, rose petals, and so on. Moreover, the factory produces spicy chocolate, adding an element of surprise to the brand. The factory also offers chocolate drinks with different degrees of sugar and flavors.
Lastly, the visitors have the chance to make their own DIY chocolate. The visitor will choose molds in different shapes and their own tops. Finally, after their works are roasted, their DIY chocolate will taste as good as its store-bought counterpart.
Featured Image – Jade Chocolate factory Photo Courtesy of XieCheng website
by Jaclyn Li