ザグレブのチョコフェスティバル Chocolate Festival in Zagreb

People queueing to enter the Chocolate Festival

ここザグレブでは2月10日から14日にかけて、チョコレートフェスティバルがイェラチッチ広場のテントの中で開催されていました。ちょうど寒波に見舞われて雪に埋もれてましたが、初めてのチョコレートフェスティバルということもあって、ものすごいたくさんの人が押しかけたようです。写真は最終日14日の夜です。外まで人が並んでいます。

  会場に入ってみると、あま～いチョコの香り。会場の中にはソファーなんかもあって、その場でアイスクリームとかチョコレートケーキを買って食べている人も・・・。

  チョコレートフェスティバルでは、クロアチア、スロベニア、オーストリア、ロシア、ボスニア・ヘルツェゴビナなどのチョコレートメーカーが出展していました。時間帯によってチョコレートのお菓子作りの実演やら、試食会、チョコレートを使った彫刻作りなどやっていたみたいです。下の写真は出展していたお店（すみません、名前覚えてないです・・・）に飾ってあったチョコレートでできた聖マルコ教会。

St. Marks Church made of Chocolate :)

 ザグレブに数店舗構えるケーキショップVincek (ヴィンツェック）にはiPhoneの形をしたチョコレートやら、工具の形をしたチョコレート、ザグレブ地方のシンボルLicitarsko Srce（赤いハートの飾り物）を形取ったものなどあって、見ているだけで楽しかったです。何となく日本のバレンタイン・デーを思い出しました。

  せっかく来たので、目に留まったスロベニアのショコラティエLuciferのチョコレートを1箱買ってみました。16個入って127Kn (約1,700円）でした。このチョコレート、想像以上においしくて、びっくり！舌触りがなめらかで、GODIVAやJean-Paul Hévin にも引けを取らないおいしさ。甘すぎず、とっても上品なお味でした。機会があったらまた買いたい。スロベニアに旅行に行く人は、お土産にお勧めです♪

  メイン会場の外にはひときわ注目を集める「チョコ・ケバブ」なるものが売っていました！ホワイトチョコとミルクチョコの塊をお肉に見立てて、削るというものでそのアイデアに感服。オーダーすると、コーンフラワーベースの生地にチョコレートを削って、アーモンド、チョコレート、ココナッツ、砂糖などのなかから好きなトッピングを選んで盛ってもらい、生地を巻いた上に生クリームを仕上げに乗せてできあがり。1つ20Kn。思ったよりも甘すぎなくておいしかったです。せっかくだから、これを機にチョコ・ケバブスタンド、常駐してくれないかな・・・。

  2月14日は、またイェラチッチ広場からちょっと南にいったところにあるズリニェバッツ公園でバレンタイン・イベントが開かれていました。公園の中心にはLove Treeがあって、短冊にみんなそれぞれ愛の言葉がつづられていました。中には「iPhone 4Sが欲しい。愛してるよナターシャ」と書いてるものやら、「戻ってきてくれ」と切ないメッセージまで・・・。バンドの生演奏もあって、曲に合わせて踊っているカップルもいれば、ホットワインを飲みながら音楽を聴き入っているカップルも。
 　
 　クロアチアのバレンタインは男女がお互いにちょっとしたプレゼントを渡したり、一緒にディナーを楽しんだりします。旦那は日本式のバレンタインは、シャイで女の子の気持ちが読めない男子にとって、女の子の気持ちが先に分かるからいい制度だ、なんて言っています。そういう考えもあるのかなぁ・・・。いろいろな発見があった一日でした。







People in Zagreb enjoyed the first Chocolate Festival at the Jelačića square from 10 to 14 February. I went there on 13th and 14th (the last day) to see the festival. As you can see on the first photo, there were so many people, even queueing outside on the last day.

Chocolates from Lucifer

  At the festival, chocolate shops and cake shops from Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and so on participated and offered many attracting chocolates and cakes. And actually, I found really nice and tasty chocolate shop from Slovenia, called Lucifer. I've never heard of that chocolate chop until I found it at the chocolate festival. I didn't expect much, BUT! the chocolates were so tasty, like Belgian or French chocolates! They were not too sweet, but they had very smooth texture and delicate and elegant taste. I'd love to buy their chocolates if I have a chance again.

  I also found many funny-shaped chocolates from Vincek, which is very popular cake and ice cream shop in Zagreb. On the 3rd photos, you will find iPhone chocolates, tools made of chocolate, Licitarsko Srce chocolates and so on. It was just so fun to see them. Oh, and the second photo shows St. Mark's Church made of chocolate! That looked so lovely :)

Love tree

  There was a very interesting shop outside the main venue of the chocolate festival. The choco kebab! Like kebab, the man shaved the bar of chocolate, put the chocolate flakes on a thin pancake together with additional topping such as, chocolate chips, coconuts flakes, additional sugar, almond slices, etc, etc.... Then the man rolled them all together and finished it with whipped cream on the top of it :) It was not too sweet, but just right and very tasty! I wish they would keep this choco kebab as standard menu! Anyway, I was so fascinated by this new idea!

  On the night of St. Valentine's Day, there was a small event at the Zrinjevac park. I went there late at night, so most of the events seemed to be finished, but people enjoyed really nice live music of all kinds. I saw couples danced to the music. I also found a love tree at the centre of the park. People left love messages on the tree :)

  I guess many people have heard of the Valentine's day in Japan. It's a day when girls tell their love to boys with chocolates. So, about 3 weeks before the Valentine's day, shops start selling huge selection of chocolates and lots and lots of women go there to buy chocolates to their love, male colleagues, male friends, brothers and fathers. On the Valentine's day, we also give chocolates to male family members and sometimes colleagues and bosses, I mean anyone who relate to us in order to keep good relationships with them. Some companies ban chocolate giving between employees. And recently, some women give chocolates to their female friends to thank to friendship with them and buy expensive chocolates to themselves. It's a kind of very rare occasion to see so many difference expensive chocolates, especially outside major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. So, it's a big temptation for us female :)

  When I talked about this to my husband, he was kind of pro for the Japanese-style Valentine's day. Maybe for many boys, it's a good chance to read girls' intentions, which seems to be very difficult for the boys. So, those who are pro for the Japanese-style Valentine's Day think it reduces pressure for boys to confess their love to girls. But, what do you think?! Oh, and there is another very unique day called "White Day" in Japan. If the Japanese-style Valentine's day is a day for girls to tell their love to boys, the White Day is a day for boys to answer it :) So, maybe you think it's cool because you don't have to prepare any presents for the Valentine's day in Japan, but you need to (had better to) return small gifts to girl(s), who gave you chocolates on the Valentine's Day, on the White Day.

  There is a survey how much girls spend for the Valentine's day and how much they expect boys to return... According to the survey this year, Japanese females spent about 32 euros on average for their love and about 8 euros for others. But, females expect return gift worth of 40 euros on average...