If you’re thinking about studying abroad in Florence, I encourage you to come in the spring. You get to look forward to the weather warming up; you have all summer to readjust to American life; and you can go to Florence’s amazing chocolate festival in mid-February.
For ten blissful days, Florence’s best purveyors of sweets are all gathered in one place: Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, just a few blocks away from Palazzo Vettori. The square is lined with tents, each occupied by a different company. It pays to shop around here. While it’s true that several tents sell similar products, they’re definitely not all the same in terms of taste or price. Each company has its own style, its own twist on various chocolatey treats, and it’s worth tasting different versions to find your own personal favorites.
For instance, I was very excited about the chocolate-covered fruit sold at the festival. I’d already walked around once with a friend and looked at the prices, and I thought I’d figured out which vendor had the best price. I bought chocolate-covered strawberries and pineapple with whipped cream twice from the same place and was totally satisfied. Then, as the festival was drawing to a close, I happened to look more closely at the fruit selection offered at another tent. In addition to strawberries and pineapple, this company also sold chocolate-covered mandarin and apple slices—and I could choose milk, dark, or white chocolate! I paid fifty cents more for variety and discovered that I’d also gotten a bigger quantity: The cup containing the fruit was slightly bigger and more tightly-packed than the ones I’d been getting. Quite frankly, if I’d realized the difference between the stalls, I would’ve gone to the second one every time.
I had a similar experience with chocolate-covered waffles (yes, they’re as good as better than they sound). First, I got a waffle on a stick, smothered in milk chocolate with chopped nuts on top. It was messy and delicious even though, much to my disappointment, it wasn’t served hot. The second waffle was coated in cinnamon, heated up, and served with dark and white chocolate, chopped nuts, and whipped cream. They even gave me a fork (a cheap plastic one, but still)! I don’t think there was a difference in price, though I can’t say for sure. I was on a bit of a chocolate high at that point. The most interesting part of my waffle experience was that the cold waffle-pop came from the same stall that served the best chocolate-covered fruit. See what I mean? It pays to shop around.
The festival features all sorts of chocolatey treats. In addition to the chocolate-covered fruit and waffles, they also sell many kinds of truffles, animal-shaped chocolates (though I warn you, the chocolate elephant I bought was hollow inside), chocolate lollipops, chocolate-covered dried fruit slices, chocolate bars with different fillings, hot chocolate, flavored chocolate, and even sugar-free chocolate. Some vendors also have more exotic delicacies, like the chocolate salami that was my first purchase at the festival. I was expecting solid chocolate with nuts, but it turned out to be an incredibly rich brownie with bits of biscuit inside. I devoured the entire thing by myself, which in retrospect was an awful idea. If you decide to try a giant slice of chocolate salami, please share it with someone. Your stomach will thank you for it, believe me.
If you’re not a big fan of chocolate, don’t despair. Do see a psychiatrist—there’s clearly something wrong with you—but don’t despair. The Fiera del Cioccolato features a variety of other sugary and even sugar-free treats. I can personally attest to the deliciousness of the macarons (one euro each, which I’m told is a very low price) and what seemed to be some kind of nut bark (I was given a free sample and didn’t catch the name). You can also buy fruit without chocolate, though it’s a bit pricey.
This is the most important bit of advice I can give you about the Chocolate Festival: Pace yourself. You’ve got ten days to try everything you want to try, and you can even come back multiple times in one day. Save the solid stuff for after the festival ends, and just eat the perishable goodies (waffles, fruit, etc.) on site. Overeating to the point of making yourself sick kind of puts a damper on the whole experience, you know?
Probably the saddest thing about the Fiera del Cioccolato is its brevity. Ten short days and it’s over. Luckily, there is a way to lighten your burden of grief: Make note of the names of the vendors so you can find them around the city after the festival ends. Remember, these are all Florentine chocolatiers! Their main reason for standing outside and serving up chocolatey goodness in the middle of February is to advertise. Each tent features a large sign with the name and usually the address of the company occupying it, so if you take pictures of your favorites, you can easily find them around the city. Bonus: it’s a nice incentive to explore Florence. Keep the festival alive in your heart (and stomach) for all four months of your study-abroad experience.
