"CH" as in CHocolate

Quick disclaimer here: I borrowed the title.  It's my English translation of the French title of a little book called CH comme chocolat that was published here about ten years ago.  The book traces the history of the chocolate-making industry and its rise as an important part of the Swiss economy, as exemplified by some of the major Swiss pioneers in the field.

For those who wonder where "CH" came from, please realize that it is not only a play on the first two letters of the word "chocolate," it is also the international abbreviation for Switzerland.  That is because the country's official name in French is the Confédération hélvétique ("CH"), or Helvetic (or Swiss) Confederation.  The word "hélvétique" comes from the Helvetii, which refers either to one Celtic tribe or, more probably, a confederation of Celtic tribes that likely originated in the southwest part of Germany.  During the time of Julius Caesar, however, they occupied most of the Swiss plateau.  They are, for the most part, ancestors of the Swiss people today.

Switzerland is known for many things.  One of the most thoroughly pleasant and enjoyable of these is unquestionably Swiss chocolate.  And today is the day of the Sixth Annual Chocolate Festival held in nearby Versoix, where I had the pleasure of living until late 2006.  And I say pleasure with understandable nostalgic delight because we lived two doors away from the shop of Marc-André Cartier, arguably one of the best young chocolatiers in la Suisse romande (French-speaking Switzerland).   As if it were not enough to have our chocolate cups already brimming over, we were also situated two blocks away from the Favarger chocolate factory and headquarters.  It was literally like having Willy Wonka for a neighbor, but without the eccentricities of either Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp.

For more about the festival itself, here is an article from last year and here are some photos to give the flavor of past celebrations.  As you can see, even cool and wet weather doesn't discourage attendance.

One never really needs an excuse to appreciate good chocolate.  I should just plaster it directly onto my hips because that's where it ultimately manifests itself.  But even that knowledge doesn't stop my enjoyment.  And Easter is just around the corner.  Chocolate bunnies and candy eggs are popping up everywhere in the stores, like the seasonal tulips that I purchased during my last grocery outing that have brightened my otherwise somber apartment.  I even noticed some brave daffodils tentatively poking their heads from the soil while I was walking today.  The forsythia bush on the terrace, my much-appreciated and most vivid harbinger of spring, is full of buds.  I can hardly wait to see its saffron blossoms.  Their bright color is so welcome after all the whites, browns, blacks and grays of the winter.