“Just browsing” is a non-concept in this little chocolate shop, Göteborgs choklad och karamellfabrik. It took discipline to not walk away with half of what was available for sale in this shop, for the home Christmas chocolate basket.
Text & Photo © CM Cordeiro & JE Nilsson 2020
It was four years ago that I stepped into this little chocolate shop around the corner. I call it “the shop around the corner” because it´s located in a corner of Kronhusgården at Kronhuset in Gothenburg, Sweden. Built between 1643 and 1654, Kronhuset is Gothenburg´s oldest secular building designed by royal architect Simon de la Vallée. This shop has always had an air of magic around it. Small, cozy and candlelit warm, you find your way around it in an instant, marveling at the wonderful sweet creations lining its shop shelves.
Göteborgs choklad och karamellfabrik 2020
A visit to Göteborgs choklad och karamellfabrik makes part of the annual Christmas marketing round in the city centre. The crowds seem to come into the shop in waves. Stay there long enough, and you´ll find that one minute it´s empty of people, and the next, you can hardly find space to the shelf of your choice to reach that chocolate that you want.
This year´s atmosphere seems mellower than previous years. Shop-made chocolates and sweets lay in baskets in shelves, wrapped and packaged. Some were tied in the prettiest of pink and yellow ribbons. The shop has an Internet presence these days, and offers customers the convenience of purchasing their favourite items online.
A sweep of an eye around the cashier´s at the shop reminded me of a scene during holy communion at a Catholic mass. People queued to pay with heads bowed low, lifting only when they were at the cashiers. Baskets were of course, full of goodies to bring home. And the only guilt of penance I´m guessing here, would be to have missed on what you truly wanted for your home Christmas chocolate basket.
We made a round or two at the shelves of this little chocolate shop, delighting in the various marzipan confections, chocolate drenched crispy puff rice, and various truffles on display. Looking and contemplating if we needed, or wanted, just one more item.
And well, you could always use just that one bit of chocolate more, don´t you?
I had to look twice at this little confection in a tin. Chocolate wrapped as sill. Very nice!
