Holidays to Fiji are already known for their fantastic range of gastric delights but thanks to the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, visitors can now also enjoy a gourmet range of home grown Fiji chocolate.
La Parisienne is a popular sidewalk café recently opened by the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa with the help of Adi Chocolate Fiji owner, Tom Ohito Zukoshi. It’s worth looking into when before you book your travel online. It is actually the only place in Fiji to sample a locally grown range of gourmet chocolates, Mr Ohito Zukoshi will use his skills as a Chocolatier to provide guests with the sweet taste of Fiji made chocolate.
Sofitel’s Executive Chef, Brendon Coffey supports the move to add another dimension to Fiji’s reputation as a ‘foodie’s paradise’ stating “We’re delighted to be able to offer our guests a sweet treat with a Fijian twist. In my book Adi Chocolate Fiji is arguably the world`s purest fine chocolate factory so we’re proud to support”.
Located on Vanua Levu, Fiji’s unofficial cacao island, Adi Chocolate Fiji has been manufacturing fine dark chocolates since 2007. Their unique brand of chocolate is made from resources that are distinctly Fijian including Trinitario, a type of tropical sun-dried bean found in the deep rainforests of the island, as well as raw cane sugar for a deeper flavour.
Originally using Adi Fiji’s Kokostic for its drinking chocolate and to make café mocha at its restaurants and cafés, Sofitel seized on its excellent quality and distinctive flavour to introduce La Parisienne. Particularly popular with the resort’s guests, Adi’s Kokostic is 55 per cent cacao and free of nuts, emulsifiers and dairy, making it ideal for Westerners prone to food allergies.
La Parisienne has five different flavours of Adi chocolate available starting at AU$6.80 per 55 gram bar.
“Although Fiji does not have the chocolate history or culture like Olmec, Aztec or Maya, the destination does have a very unique history in regards to its cacao trees,” said Chef Coffey.
“Around 1880, British sailors brought many plants to the Fijian Islands from Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and included Trinitario cacao beans from the island of Trinidad, and later planted original varieties of cacao seedlings on Vanua Levu and as such it’s now known to many as the Koko (cacao) Island.”
Originally meant as simply a product for the Sofitel, Chef Coffey said the resort is constantly pursuing the many ways in which to support local suppliers and industry. He said that with the advent of La Parisienne, Sofitel can now provide its guests with a true ‘taste’ of Fiji.
If you’d like to experience the true taste of Fiji for yourself, then there are a wide range of Fiji holiday packages available to tailor to your needs. By combining your flights, accommodation, travel insurance, transfers, meal packages, resort vouchers, massages, spa treatments, tours and more you can save hundreds. That’s sure to sweeten the deal on Fiji holiday packages.