Eurocholate Festival @ Perugia – 16/25 october

Break ranks!
The military order that has been chosen as the slogan of the sixteenth edition of Eurochocolate Perugia is a clear invitation to think outside the box, to give free rein to one’s individuality, to go beyond the usual habits to be able to enjoy the food of the gods in a new way and in all its complexity.In 2009, Eurochocolate wants to promote creativity, so everyone can love chocolate as he or she pleases. Dark or milk, bar or nugget, in whatever form it is, it doesn’t matter: there’s room for all!The tools of this sweet, peaceful revolution, which up to now have had very little to do with chocolate, and precisely for this reason have been chosen as the images symbolizing the new communication campaign of Eurochocolate 2009, are a hammer, which symbolizes the “break”, and a ruler named again “Golosimetro” (sweet tooth gauge).The big names of Italian design chosen to interpret the two objects in the Eurochocolate spirit and turn them into original gadgets are, Matteo Ragni, food designer who has been working with Eurochocolate for years in the creation of ever-curious chocolate products of great impact, and Paolo Ulian, coming from new generation Italian designers, whose objects are always characterized by a disarming but engaging simplicity.Of course, both the hammer and the Golosimetroare made of chocolate and marked up by the brand Costruttori di Dolcezze (Builders of Sweetnesses) available from next September, could be broken… with the teeth!

In the new Costruttori di Dolcezze products-line, it’s possible also find the brand new Vero, the first vacuum-packed chocolate, with an innovative packaging that keeps unaltered the whole taste and the freshness of chocolate, and Grattaciok, the functional chocolate grater, useful to prepare and decorate gourmet cakes! You only have to turn…and a chocolate slivers shower will turn even a cappuccino into something special!

And the Eurochocolate 2009 edition news are not ending…this year the festival give one more chance to the chocoholics to enjoy the sweet kermesse, opening one day longer. Instead of starting on Saturday as usual, in 2009 the festival will start on Friday 16th through Sunday the 25th October. This decision was reached in order to give an extra opportunity to chocolate lovers to visit the Umbrian capital city, discovering the attractions of this beautiful region, and having fun with the sweet kermesse entertainments.

This year more over, Eurocholate will be full of appointment as entertainments, conferences, exhibitions, didactic labs for adults and child, and the not to be missed Chocolate Show, the biggest open-air selling and entertainment area with its wide selection of Italian and International chocolates, to involve sweet lovers in a flurry of activities to suit everyone tastes.

Moreover, with Chococard, 5 euro spending, you will have reductions and gifts for the Festival activities and Perugia city attractions, as well as to enter a prize contest with wonderful prizes for chococard possessors.

Amongst all the appointments of Eurochocolate, there will be also two conventions on chocolate and health theme.The 18 th and 19 th of October there will be the updating Convention “Chocolate and woman health”, organized in partnership with the University of Perugia Perinatal and Reproduction Medicine Center, headed from Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo.The theme has been debated in a similar convention, in 2008, analysing the effects of chocolate assumption in woman pregnancy period; this year the in-depht analysis of this chocoterapy , goes on to explore its effects for woman health from PMS and depression to body care (aesthetic and anti- aging).The second health meeting, scheduled on October 20th debate on the theme of “Acne and Chocolate”, thanks to the contribution of the dermatologists of ADOI (the Italian Hospital Dermatologists Association) for his first national symposium. Both meetings will be host in Perugia Congress Center.

Monday 16th and Tuesday 20th October also comes back the appointment with Chocolate Exchange, the International Exchange of Cocoa and Chocolate dedicated to chocolate buyers and sellers, organized in collaboration with ICE and the Abroad Centre of Perugia Chamber of Commerce.

At last, new meetings will take place in Eurochocolate World contest, where the cocoa producing countries of Africa, Latin America and Asia, in co-operation and under the aegis of ICCO (International Cocoa Organisation) and FairTrade Italy, will bring to Perugia their experiences and cultures in chocolate world.Wednesday 21st October, the International Summit “In the Hearth of Chocolate” will open a debate on the theme of Cocoa and Chocolate Quality, in the broader meaning of the word. Not just as feedstocks quality but as ethics in production, companies social accountability, sustainable development of producing countries and environmental protection.

Of course, Eurochocolate could not come without a space entirely dedicated to art and creativity with young designers projects that take inspiration from chocolate. Therefore, after Costruttori di Dolcezze innovative chocolate products designed by Matteo Ragni and Paolo Ulian, Adele Rotella, and her Sciocolà bench, will be the main attractions of Mal di…Panca! (in English stomach-ache, a space named playing on the similar sound of the Italian word panca, for bench and pancia, for stomach).The bench that Adele designed, taking inspiration from aesthetics and sensuality of chocolate, turning a rest into a precious moment of pleasure an luxury… hard to break off!On the website www.eurochocolate.com, you can find further and fully detailed news on the 16th Eurochocolate edition.And ,at last, if you are a chocolate lover be fan of FaceCiok! Entering your profile on Facebook you will be a member of the Eurochocolate community, and discover what happens at Eurochocolate festival everyday, meet other chocolate lovers, organize to attend the event with your chocolate friend, having fun together with the curiosities about chocolate!

In short… break ranks! and chocolate will no longer be the same!