AJ Šokoladas is one of the best chocolate praline makers in Lithuania. Their factory is located in Trakai, and they have shops in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda where you can buy pralines and truffles in addition to hot chocolate, coffee, and delicious cakes. In addition to the more or less standard praline flavourings they have also pralines filled with blue cheese filling, which in my opinion is delicious, but some people don’t like it. Absolutely recommended!
Hal Chocolate cafes, Chocolatieres lithuania
It is hard to find a chocolatier in Norway. Even in the capital Oslo there is just one in addition to Freia (which is owned by Kraft General Foods). Norwegians usually buy chocolate boxes from the largest national and European manufacturers in supermarkets and grocery stores, however, in some cities you might find small chocolate shops or cafes where you can buy Belgian pralines, or in some cases even Norwegian pralines.
In Stavanger in the south-western part of Norway I stumbeled across a chocolatier called Sjokoladepiken, which means ”Chocolate Girl”. They are making their own pralines and truffles; expensive but delicious. After trying some of them I found my favorites: chocolate pralines with goat milk caramel filling, and pralines with passion fruit. Absolutely fabulous!
Hal Chocolate cafes, Chocolatieres norway
During my visit to the Yucatan peninsula i stumbled across Ah Cacao Chocolate Café in Playa del Carmen. Ah Cacao produce their own high quality chocolate using cacao beans of the criollo variety from Tabasco in Mexico. In addition to a series of chocolate bars, they also produce cocoa powder, cacao soap, and other products. For more information see The Chocolate Review.
I tried their dark chocolate containing 70% cacao solids, sugar, vanilla and soya lecithin. Delicious.
Editor’s Rating:
Type: Bittersweet premium chocolate bar
Flavor: 
In their Chocolate Café it is possible to buy delicious chocolate ice cream, chocolate mousse, hot chocolate, chocolate cakes, brownies, croissants, in addition to coffee of all kinds.
They have also a series of T-shirts and caps for sale.
It is difficult to find good quality chocolate in Mexico, but Ah Cacao is well worth a visit.
[Photos: Hal]
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Hal Chocolate cafes, Chocolate tasting, Specialty chocolates mexico
A great chocolate museum is located in Cologne, Germany. The museum was established in 1993 close to the Rhine River. It has impressive exhibitions about the history of chocolate, cacao farming, the manufacture of cocoa and chocolate, cult chocolate, chocolate advertisements, and chocolate vending machines. There is also a small greenhouse where you can see the cacao tree and other tropic plants. Lindt has three working manufacturing lines in the museum so you can actually see how small milk chocolate bars, chocolate truffles, and chocolate figures are made. In addition there is a chocolate fountain.
The museum has also a restaurant where you can try some delicious chocolate cakes in addition to sandwiches and savory dishes, and there is an impressive chocolate store. A visit is absolutely recommended when being in Cologne or nearby cities.
Hal Chocolate cafes germany
Mink Chocolates has a cafe in Vancouver (863 Hastings Street West, Vancouver BC, Canada). By chance I passed the cafe one late evening and decided to visit the cafe the next morning. I was very much surprized by the creative chocolate products Mink is producing: fine chocolate bars (solid and filled), bon bons, and gift boxes. They are using chocolate from Callebaut (Belgium) for making their products. In the cafe you can also buy high quality coffee.
What about a dark chocolate bar filled with lime in white chocolate ganache? Or chocolate filled with burnt caramel with salt and rosemary? (The flavor of this one is fantastic!)
My visit opened a new world of flavor combinations. I absolutely recommend a visit to Mink Chocolate Cafe if you happen to be in Vancouver!
[Photos: Hal]
Hal Chocolate brands, Chocolate cafes, Chocolate tasting, Chocolatieres, Specialty chocolates canada