If you want to learn about, eat and share chocolate then make sure you don’t miss Melt: Chocolate Festival on next Sunday 26 May 11am – 4pm at the Immigration Museum.

At Melt: Chocolate Festival, you will get to meet members of Victoria’s chocolate-loving Portuguese-speaking, Belgian, and Mexican communities to explore the role of chocolate in cuisine, culture and commerce. There will be exhibitions, talks about topics such as the origins of cacao in ancient Mexico to ethics and sustainability in local and global industries, performances from Mariachi bands and of course lots of chocolate food and drinks to buy and sample. You can even buy a Top Chocs showbag which includes chocolates from festival chocolatier.

I was invited to visit a preview of the festival and to meet with people from these communities. The preview included samples of some of the food that you’ll find at the festival, such as the unmissable Mexican champurrado (thick hot chocolate made with milk, water, chocolate and cornflour) and warm cinnamon-crusted Mexican sweet bread. I went back for seconds :–)

Also try the chocolates and truffles made by Belgian chocolatier Stefaan Van Nunen using Callebaut chocolate and a whole variety of super-sweet Brazilian Brigadeiros (chocolate truffles) which were first made to support the political campaign of a brigadier in 1946. Now you can even eat them as a topping on cakes – apparently popular for kids’ birthday parties in Brazil.

During the festival you will have the chance to make make Brazilian Brigadeiros or decorate a Mexican chocolate skull like those which are used in the Day of the Dead celebrations. Here’s my attempt…

I suspect that Melt: Chocolate Festival will be a very popular event, especially in this cold wintery weather we’re having. So I highly recommend you purchase festival entry, workshop and chocolate show bag tickets in advance online to avoid queues and disappointment or book by phone on 13 11 02 or at the Immigration Museum daily from 10am – 5pm. Bon appetit!

Melt: Chocolate Festival, Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders St, Melbourne
Sunday 26 May 2013, 11am – 4pm
Adult $10, children and concession FREE (workshops and chocolate showbags extra)