From January 21st to 25th, the Paris-based chocolate festival, "Salon du Chocolat," will be held at the Shinjuku NS Building. This marks the festival's 13th time in Japan and the 20th time in France.
Until last year, the festival was held in the event hall of the Isetan Shinjuku store. This year, the venue will be the larger NS Building, and the number of participating brands will increase, allowing visitors to enjoy chocolate from approximately 100 brands from 17 countries around the world.
In addition, this year's theme, "Chocolat, Patrimoine Universelle" (A "World Heritage Site" called "Chocolat" that we want to pass on to future generations), has been subtitled "Homage to the Future," and the festival will focus on conveying the "history and culture of chocolate" to visitors and passing it on to future generations.
One of the new chocolate trends that has been gaining attention recently is "Bean to Bar." Literally translated, it means "from bean to bar." In other words, it represents the entire process from roasting cocoa beans to forming them into bars. By covering the entire process from the cocoa beans—the raw material for chocolate—to the finished product, we are able to fully bring out the inherent charm of the ingredients and meticulously craft our chocolate.

In fact, "Bean to Bar" workshops, where participants can experience everything from peeling the cocoa shell, have become popular recently. Inspired by this, Chocolatier Palet aux Dor, where Shunsuke Saegusa is Grand Chef, has developed a set that includes everything from the raw cocoa to tablets, chocolat chaud, and bonbons, each of which is transformed into a different shape at each stage. This shows the level of consumer interest in "Bean to Bar." Saegusa is also known for opening Japan's first large-scale "Bean to Bar" workshop last year. This is a unique endeavor for Chef Saegusa, who is passionate about exploring the diverse possibilities of chocolate, pairing it with other ingredients, and creating innovative chocolate creations.

According to Chef Saegusa, it's rare for typical chocolate confections to be made from a single type of bean. Therefore, "Bean to Bar" is highly valuable in the sense that it allows you to enjoy the individuality of beans harvested in various countries.

Of course, you can also enjoy chocolates from Chocolatier Palet aux D'or at the upcoming Salon du Chocolat. Popular items from the store will be available, including the Artisan Tablet (800 yen) made with Cuban beans, Carreau Chocolat (1,800 yen), and Artisan Palet d'or (2,500 yen).

Salon du Chocolat, where a wide variety of brands just like those in the home country come together, will be the perfect opportunity to discover the depths of the world of chocolate.