The Óbidos International Chocolate Festival takes place from 21 March to 6 April (Friday to Sunday, 11 am to 9 pm), focusing on the theme “science”.
As usual, the network of Turismo de Portugal Schools is attending this annual event and the 12 Hospitality and Tourism Schools will be represented by the Oeste, Estoril/Lisbon and Coimbra schools over the three weekends of the event. Some 36 students and nine instructors will be involved in promoting activities focused on chocolate, either in a space specific to the Turismo de Portugal Schools brand at Praça do Chocolate (“Chocolate Square”), or on the AEG Stage, where workshops open to festival visitors are being held. Our teaching chefs and our students will be surprising visitors throughout the festival with the best and most original things made of chocolate!
_ 21 to 23 Mar | Oeste School of Hospitality and Tourism
_ 28 to 29 Mar | Estoril School of Hospitality and Tourism
_ 30 Mar | Lisbon School of Hospitality and Tourism
_ 4 to 6 Apr | Coimbra School of Hospitality and Tourism
Celebrating science in its various dimensions and honouring the inventions that have transformed society and the way we live, this year's programme allows a journey of flavours that begins with the complexity of transforming cocoa into delicious creations and then moves on to a more avant-garde level where the most advanced confectionery techniques combine innovation, ingenuity and art.
This edition of the festival thus challenges all participants to discover how the protagonists of great scientific inventions and discoveries have influenced the way we experience the world, in which chocolate is an integral part.
The first Óbidos International Chocolate Festival took place in 2002 and it has been held annually in the town ever since. Over the years, it has highlighted many examples of the ingredient’s potential, including famous chocolate sculptures, internationally renowned master chocolatiers, live cooking shows, contests, demonstrations of the various ways to enjoy chocolate and a wide array of other activities.
Come along and see for yourself!
