Cadbury Chocolates and Mochaccinos

Although not originally invented in New Zealand, Cadbury's presence here is undeniable. Every small convenience store or tourist shop is loaded with shelves full of all the popular Cadbury treats as well as the ones exclusively created in the Dunedin factory (a city located on the south east coast of South Island.) While in Dunedin, I had the opportunity to go on a tour of the famous factory and learn all about the chocolate-making process as well as the unique secrets that Cadbury uses to make their special chocolates and sweets. I found it interesting to see a display of the broken down process that the cocoa beans go through separating the cocoa butter from the cocoa mass before being combined with milk and sugar to form the basic milk chocolate bar. We also learned all New Zealand's contribution to the Cadbury name with their four famous treats, the Jaffas, Pineapple Lumps, Moro, and Pinky. Being on the Hershey's chocolate tour twice, I must say that this tour was 10 times better! Every room we entered seemed to promise a new chocolate bar or two for us. And not just a tiny bite size peice of chocolate, but the normal large chocolate bars that satisfy every chocolate craving. I soon discovered my new favorite, the Mighty Perky Nana, a milk chocolate bar with sugary banana flavours inside (definitely designed for kids,  but when it comes to candy im still a child.) Halfway through the tour though, I wasn't able to keep up with the gobbling down of chocolate and ended up with a lumpy sweatshirt pouch full of free bars to munch on later!

Although I do love chocolate, I would not quite classify myself as a chocoholic. However, I will admit that I have a strong addiction to Mochaccinos and the way they serve them in New Zealand. I order them so frequently on campus that the lady who makes it for me knows exactly how I like mine made. I'll approach and immediately she'll ask "Mochaccino, one sugar, two marshmallows?" The first time she asked me if I wanted marshmallows I was a bit confused, but curious I replied "Sure." Originally, I thought that marshmallows in a coffee sounded kind of funny, but I've learned that its actually normal here to have marshmallows in a Mochaccino. Now a Mochaccino is not a Mochaccino to me without one white and one pink (strawberry) marshmallow. There's something quite soothing about sipping slowly on the chocolate powdered foam (my favorite part!) created from the steamed milk with little bits of marshmallow dissolving in your mouth. Then as you get through the foam to the milky, choclately espresso combination, your mouth is suddenly awakened by the warm, rich flavor as it washes down your throat and lights you up with energy. On my travels through the South Island, I couldn't resist trying Mochaccinos from many of the cute Espresso Shops and I was delighted with every one of them.

Here are some pictures of the delicious Mochaccinos I had along the way (the first one you see was my favorite from the town of Wanaka! MOCHACCINO DELUXE!!!)