A chocolataire is a type of social gathering which ranges from large events (such as fund raising and invitation only) to smaller functions (similar in structure to informal tea parties), in which all food and drink are composed of or contain some form of

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civ ...

. Considered obsolete by some, this entertainment was at its peak popularity around the turn of the 20th century (the process for making milk chocolate having been brought to market in 1875), and was seen as a novel alternative to the other forms of social gathering at the time.

Food and drink

The menu at a chocolataire may include any variety of chocolate-based dishes: cakes,

wafer A wafer is a crisp, often sweet, very thin, flat, light and dry biscuit, often used to decorate ice cream, and also used as a garnish on some sweet dishes. Wafers can also be made into cookies with cream flavoring sandwiched between them. They ...

s, bonbons, candy, and

pastry Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" sugges ...

being a few examples thereof. These dishes can also be seasonal. Examples of seasonal dishes can include

hot chocolate Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener like whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate ...

and chocolate

fondue Fondue (, , ) is a Swiss melted cheese dish served in a communal pot ( ''caquelon'' or fondue pot) over a portable stove () heated with a candle or spirit lamp, and eaten by dipping bread into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. It was promoted ...

during cold months and chocolate

lemonade Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage. There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using ...

or chocolate

ice cream Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as ...

during the summer.

Ceremony

La famille du Duc de Penthièvre dit la tasse de chocolat

As the chocolataire grew in popularity, the ceremony itself became more chocolate-themed—the

menu In a restaurant, the menu is a list of food and beverages offered to customers and the prices. A menu may be à la carte – which presents a list of options from which customers choose – or table d'hôte, in which case a pre-established seque ...

cards, programs, decorations, and even the costumes of the waiters were of chocolate color; chocolate

cups CUPS (formerly an acronym for Common UNIX Printing System) is a modular printing system for Unix-like computer operating systems which allows a computer to act as a print server. A computer running CUPS is a host that can accept print jobs ...

and

saucer A saucer is a type of small dishware. While in the Middle Ages a saucer was used for serving condiments and sauces, currently the term is used to denote a small plate or shallow bowl that supports a cup – usually one used to serve coffee ...

s were sometimes sold with the chocolate that was served in them, or given as a

souvenir A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...

for those who purchased chocolate. The chocolataire saw use in every social gathering imaginable—one was even thrown as part of a fundraising, fund raising function for a kindergarten in Indiana—and it was not uncommon, after all guests had been served, to hold an auction of remaining candy, loaves of cake, and boxes of chocolate left over from preparation of the dishes.

Modern use

The modern analog to the traditional chocolataire is found in some bridesmaid and bachelorette parties (where traditional chocolate foods and candies like Chocolate truffle, truffles and cake are joined by newer recipes like chocolate beer and martini (cocktail), martinisIlona Peltz
Calling all chocoholics! Have yourself a chocolataire.
article at aisledash.com), and restaurants like "Death by Chocolate" in New Zealand and Canada featuring all-chocolate menus.

References

{{Chocolate Chocolate events Eating parties High society (social class) Upper class culture