Who doesn't love Chocolate? Well, you certainly can't accuse an Italian of not loving chocolate. In fact one of the largest producing houses of fine chocolates in the world is located in the town of its namesake. Perugia chocolates in Perugia Italy located in the Umbrian region of central Italy. This town prides it's self year round of it's chocolate aficionado however there is one particular time out of every year when they boast their best and most creative Chocolate fare.

It's the Chocolate Festival in Italy called the Eurochocolate Festival and it's held in mid October. Like any celebration in Italy, it is a multiple day event; they'll be no weekend warrior’s celebration there, this particular event lasting a full 10 days.

10 DAYS OF CHOCOLATE!

Staying at the first Hotel in the world to be dedicated to Chocolate, The Estruscan Chocohotel in Perugia, is a must while you experience chocolate as the feature of everyday life. There are events and things to do throughout the town such as:

• An enormous chocolate sculpture contest: This is a particularly popular event to the children that huddle around trying to capture the shavings of the sculpture as they fall to the ground.

• The most creative chocolate candy and cookies: Try both little and large pieces of art that you ALMOST don't want to eat.

• Featured chocolate beauty products and spa treatments: Could you imagine anything more decadent then a relaxing massage of Chocolate?

• Even the best chocolate hair style contest.

• Features of everyday chocolate foods such as: Chocolate salami, chocolate olive oil, chocolate cheeses and of course pasta.

As far as I'm concerned life doesn't get any better then that. Two of my favorite foods combined.

Chocolate and Pasta!

During the festival I stumbled upon a gazebo offering samples of a sinful pleasure. Chocolate pasta with a warm strawberry sauce and freshly made whipped cream! It was touched with just the right amount of heat from the red crushed pepper to give it a spicy teaser to the tongue, cooled by the freshly whipped cream that was decorated with a delicate mint sprig. I can still feel the sweet thickness of the sauce complimenting the deep rich flavor of the pasta.

It was served much like the Italians serve a warm hot chocolate, with a small bowl of whipped cream to add as much as you like to the warm delicious drink. As I scooped the additional portion with a guilty look on my face, I adorned a kind comment from the merchant behind the counter. "Piu Signora, Piu" Meaning: More Madam, More. With agreeing eyes as if he and I both understood that you couldn’t put a limit to this pleasure and if you're going to do it you must do it to the fullest extent.

If chocolate is the food of the gods then this is the International Ambrosia event of the year and what I truly call "La Dolce Vita"!