Recommended Websites:
Valentine’s Day is coming and I thought it would be fun to feature a number of websites that offer virtual tours of chocolate factories. All of the following websites offer information on the history of chocolate too. But if you want an in-depth lesson, visit the Exploratorium website where you can indulge in “The Sweet Science of Chocolate.”
And don’t miss Homefires’ “A Valentine’s Day Chocolate Curriculum” by Fran Wisniewski with all kinds of links to the history and science of chocolate along with chocolate literature suggestions, movies and videos about chocolate, and some fun chocolate activities — great for you unit-study folks!
We’ve also put together lots of fun chocolate learning activities for little ones at UniversalPreschool.com.
And now, what you’ve been waiting for….
CHOCOLATE FACTORY VIRTUAL TOURS:
At this site you get 2 options for a virtual tour of the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory — you can take a tour through text and photos, or you can take a video tour. Learn all about chocolate from cocoa bean to candy bar. Hershey maintains an amazing factory town in Hershey, Pennsylvania that you can visit in real time.
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Scharffen Berger Dark Chocolate Factory
This site provides a virtual tour of the dark gourmet chocolate factory in Berkeley, California through photographs and text. Learn about the history of the company and chocolate production.
Scharffen Berger offers free public tours and private groups tours of the chocolate factory.
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Cadbury Chocolate Factory Tour
Cadbury offers an animated virtual tour of their chocolate making process that includes how they make their famous chocolate Easter eggs and chocolate bars.
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Ghirardelli provides a short but terrific photo-and-text tour of the chocolate making process from bean to bar. If you are ever in San Francisco you can visit their flagship store and soda fountain at Ghirardelli Square (near Fisherman’s Wharf).
At the store you can see the original chocolate making equipment in operation.
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Really, this is the best site on the net about chocolate — could it be I feel that way because they list the health benefits of chocolate? Learn all about the antioxidant properties of chocolate while watching fabulous videos of the history of chocolate, how it’s made (from bean to bar), the sustainability of cocoa farming in the rainforest, and play an interactive game featuring the favorite cocoa drink of Aztec warriors.
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CHOCOLATE SITES WITHOUT FACTORY TOURS:
See’s Candies is a well-known chocolate company, but unfortunately they don’t offer real or virtual tours of their candy-making process at their website — almost inconceivable since they are practically in Silicon Valley! Oh well, until they catch up with the wonders of modern technology you can read about the history of the company at their website — and buy their candy online.
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This European chocolatier doesn’t offer a virtual tour, but you can read the company’s history and check out the “Chocolate Lover’s Timeline” that provides a history of chocolate through the ages.
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While this site does not contain a factory tour, it does contain a too-brief photo gallery of the amazing chocolate sculptures of Joseph Schmidt. The man is an artist and chocolate is his medium. You won’t believe what he can craft from chocolate — it’s a shame his works of chocolate art get eaten.
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You can’t talk chocolate without mentioning M&Ms. Learn all about the sweet success of this candy that started out as a snack food for military personnel.
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DISCLAIMER: If you decide to view any of these websites, ClickSchooling is not responsible for the chocolate cravings that may ensue. You may want to have a chocolate bar, morsel, or cup of cocoa on hand to enjoy during your virtual tours. :)
Have fun!