Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Every year, Geneva holds an
annual festival, Escalade, celebrating its victory over the Savoyard soldiers on the night of December 11, 1602. There is a torch-bearing procession of locals dressed in period costumes through the streets of the old town. Many restaurants have special menus for the occasion and families get-together to celebrate over food.
Beginning of the Escalade procession
A big part of these celebrations are the “chocolate pots,” which are only made at this time of the year, and can only be found in Geneva. Legend has it a woman saved the walled city of Geneva by throwing a colander of hot soup over the head of a Savoy soldier who was climbing a wall. These chocolate pots are made in her honour, and filled with marzipan “veggies” as if it was a pot of soup. When families gather, they break the chocolate in a traditional ceremony before eating it.
The chocolate pots of Escalade
That’s me making chocolate pots
Chocolate Workshops
There is nothing like Swiss chocolate! After all, the Swiss invented milk and white chocolate. I had the opportunity at Stettler Chocolates, a boutique laboratory, where I made a “chocolate pot” in special honour of Escalade.
- Watch my video of the making of the chocolate pots:
Resources:
Geneva Tourism and
Switzerland Tourism