“Chocolate is the divine drink which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits man to walk for a whole day without food.”

There is a long history of chocolate in Milan, with one well-known store, Venchi, dating back to the late 1800s. During my visit, I wanted to check out some of the different locations and see what was being made and sold. My tour started at ChocoCult, a space on three levels with a nifty chandelier made from metal and containing light bulbs inside of wire whisks hanging down the stairwell. ChocoCult offers gelato, espresso, chocolate bars and handmade chocolates. I tried the drinking chocolate, which was thick and rich and not overly sweet. Fresh whipped cream helped give the drink added body. And I thought the chocolate ganache centers in the chocolates were nicely made.

The next stop was at Chocolat Milano. I love its logo! This is a tiny place on Via Boccaccio, and it was packed. People were falling all over one another trying to get in and try the gelato, drinks and chocolates. Many of the chocolates had an interesting crunch, with a feuilletine added to the centers for added texture. But what surprised me was that there was no chocolate display case. All of the chocolates were prepacked into gift boxes, so it was impossible to choose one’s own assortment. Never my favorite way to buy chocolates, since my rule of thumb when purchasing chocolate as a gift is to always give people what you like, on the chance that you will be offered some!

My next stop was at Cioccolat0 e Sapori, a small boutique owned by Franco Aguzzi. I had the chance to talk to Franco. He makes all of his chocolates in another location, and most of his business is wholesale. However, in his store there is a small display case with different varieties. He gave me different pieces to sample, including a dark-chocolate truffle with rum, a Grand Marnier-filled piece and the dark chocolate he uses to make the chocolates. I was quite happy choosing my own assortments this time, with my biggest decision being whether I want to give them away as gifts or keep them for myself!

Next I visited Venchi, the traditional chocolate shop from 1878. Chocolates there were classically European, costing about €60 a kilogram, or about $45 a pound. In addition to its finished chocolates, Venchi had nice packaging with its own label for gifts.

My last stop was Chocolato Puro, a small shop tucked away on Piazza Carmine. It had the most innovative and interesting packaging, including small boxes that had inner partitions holding four types of chocolate candies like panned chocolate beans. The shop’s daily dose was a small treat in a cellophane box that contained seven individual servings for €5, a great idea for a daily treat. The Campari truffle I had was one of the best I enjoyed all day.

By the time I returned to my hotel, I was laden with boxes from all of the places I had visited. I loved Milano for its logo and energy. I enjoyed talking with M. Aguzzi about his chocolates and had the closest connection with him as an owner of the enterprise. ChocoCult made a terrific drink for me, Venchi was the classic European shop, and Chocolato Puro offered the most innovative packaging and had some of the best-tasting chocolates as well. I’m glad I got to visit all of them so I didn’t have to choose from just one. Now I’m looking forward to hearing what my friends say about their gifts. And more important, if they share what I brought with me!

In 1960, chocolate syrup was used to simulate blood in the famous shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, “Psycho.” The scene, featuring Janet Leigh, took more than seven days to shoot.

“Chocolate is the only aromatherapy I need.”

It isn’t easy doing business in Italy. I arrived here for the Host Milan trade fair, one of the largest shows in the world for coffee machines and products.  In order to have our products on the stand at the exposition, the office sent three cases of syrups via FedEx to my hotel.

Upon my arrival Wednesday afternoon, I checked in with the hotel to pick up my boxes. I was handed an envelope containing eight faxed pages. The shipment was being held at Italian Customs, and to receive the boxes, I had to sign paperwork from the Ministry of Health and pay a fee of 80 Euros. Eighty Euros exceeded the value of the shipment, but I had no choice.

Since the forms were all in Italian, the business center translated them and explained how I was to proceed. To process the payment, I could go to either the post office or a bank and pay cash, and the money would be wired into a government account. I called FedEx, which referred me to its broker handling the transaction. That was my first conversation with the very helpful Marie Lisa, and she told me that the earliest I could get the packages delivered was Monday. As it was Wednesday, and the show started Friday, I explained to her that I needed the packages before the show started Friday, and that if I received them Monday it would be too late. She said that there was a chance that if all of the paperwork were filled out properly, the packages might be released Friday. I told her that I was willing to do whatever was necessary, including going back to the airport, about an hour’s drive, to pick up the boxes in order to have them in time for the show. Her instructions were to make the payments and fax back the documents.

The next morning, I set out to the post office. There, I was told that I couldn’t pay there and was directed to a nearby bank. At the bank, the process was long and complicated, involving more paperwork, my passport and an hour to make the payment. I then faxed all 11 sheets of paper to the broker.

It was noon. I called Marie Lisa, and she told me that she had received the paperwork and would initiate the process. There was a chance I could get the products delivered Friday, but she wouldn’t know for several hours. At 4 o’clock, my cell rang with a call from Marie Lisa. Could I please fax a sheet of paper with a declaration stating that the goods were for my personal use and not for commercial purposes? Italian Customs did not want to release commercial goods, but by declaring that they were for personal consumption, she felt that the goods could be released. And she needed the declaration within the next 30 minutes to get it to Customs that evening.

I was at the exhibition hall setting up the booth, so I ran and searched for the business center, which, of course, was closed, as the exhibition had not yet opened. I burst into an open office and asked if I could use their fax machine, explaining that I had to fax a document immediately to release some goods from Customs. The woman there agreed and handed me a blank piece of paper, on which I scrawled the declaration and faxed it over.

By now, Marie Lisa was programmed into my speed dial. I called her. “Perfecto,” she said, adding that she would call later. I left the show, feeling slightly optimistic. At 7 p.m., Marie Lisa called back. “I received the approval to release the goods. Call FedEx.”  I thanked her and called FedEx. They said they had not yet received the authorization to release the goods. I told them about my conversation moments earlier with Marie Lisa. They looked again and returned saying that I needed to call in the morning at 8 to see when the packages were going to be delivered. If they were delivered, I would have them by noon. There was nothing left to do but wait until the morning.

At 8 a.m., I called FedEx. I was told that they had not yet received the clearance from the broker and could not release the packages. I dialed Marie Lisa. “I already told you that I received the authorization last night,” she said, “and I sent it over. Tell FedEx to look again.” I called FedEx back. This time, they found the authorization and told me that I could pick up the packages at the airport.

I quickly caught a bus to Malpensa airport and from there a cab to FedEx. As the taxi driver waited, I entered the building and gave them my paperwork. “Wait here,” I was told. I did, knowing that the taxi meter was running. People came and went, and 15 minutes later my three boxes were wheeled out. I reached to get them but was told to wait. Another 10 minutes passed before another FedEx employee appeared with more paperwork that he put into clear plastic envelopes and affixed to each box. “Now you can go,” he said. I placed the boxes in the cab and told the cabdriver to go to the show. There was a train strike that day, so I had no choice but to take a taxi. I finally arrived at the convention center at 3 p.m., having missed the first day.

As we drove, I was doing the math in my head:

Taxi from Malpensa to Rho Fiera Exposition center — 100 Euros
Italian Customs fees — 80 Euros
Bank fees to process the payment — 20 Euros
Bus to the airport — 15 Euros
Faxes at the business center — 15 Euros
Phone calls to FedEx from my hotel room — 10 Euros
Roaming cellphone charges talking to Marie Lisa — 40 Euros

Total: Almost 300 Euros, or $450, to get my three boxes

A little bit of money, a lot of brain damage and a lot of wasted time and energy. I guess it all just adds up to the cost of doing international business. I had my goods and for the rest of the show was able to sample my products and talk to customers. The show was a lot of work, and I hope it was worth the effort.