By Linda Tancs

Think “city of chocolate” and you’d probably wax nostalgic about those little seashell-shaped chocolate wonders from Belgium. But there’s more than one fine chocolatier vying for your attention in Europe. For instance, look further south and–voilà –you’ll find Bayonne, the chocolate capital of France. In the 1800s the first mechanical chocolate production facility in the country was built there. Situated near the Atlantic coast in the Basque region, Bayonne’s chocolate-making prowess made the big time in 1855 at the exposition in Paris, 412 miles away. Today, visitors are likely to enjoy one of the region’s specialties, chocolate (70% cacao) tinged with Piment d’Espelette, a locally grown red pepper that is often ground like paprika and used to infuse many dishes–including desserts, obviously. What an unusual combination of epicurean delights. L’embarras du choix, no doubt.

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