!VAR HAGENDOORN

More Chocolate

The New York Times of December 14, 2008 featured a bicycle journey taking in some of Paris most celebrated chocolate boutiques.

The Financial Times of December 20, 2008 lists some of the best artisan chocolate makers in London, New York, Paris and Brussels.

And some disconcerting news: Cocoa prices hit a 23-year-high. "We have supply concerns continuing. The market is plenty bullish and we have plenty of room to go on the upside," says one commodities trader. In other words, I should have hedged my love for chocolate by buying cocao futures. Or to put it the other way around, as one of this year's best performing commodities I could have eaten a lot of chocolate had I invested in cocoa futures at the beginning of the year (and kept rolling forward).

But the good news is that Jacques Genin has opened his own shop and tea salon in Paris.