“Should I get a Kitkat? Nahh too crunchy, what about a Mars bar? Too darn chewy – maybe a Choco Prince?”. This is a very common internal dilemma most of us face every time we are at the supermarket. An innocent late-night trip for a carton of milk turns into a full-blown philosophical analysis into what chocolate best suits our needs. The was taken to a whole new level this weekend at the Hamrun Chocolate Festival as the artisans’ delectable creations left everyone in absolute awe (and secretly wishing they could stretch out and steal a bite).  

An annual occurrence for the past few years, the Hamrun chocolate festival connects chocolate lovers with master craftsmen for a stunning visual and gustatory show. Although there is no tangible proof of this, common narrative dictates that during the rule of Grand Master Perelos, cocoa beans were stored in Hamrun, thus linking the town to chocolate.

One chocolate-carved structure on show at the festival took the form of Aquaman. A chocolate covered Jason Momoa might be the stuff of many women’s dreams, but this nightmarish vision created a different effect. With over 90kg of chocolate used, culinary artist Chris Zammit and Tiziano Cassar took five days to carve out the six-foot structure.

Another chocolatey creation exhibited during the festival saw Steve D’Anastasi team up with ITS students Jeremy, Juan, Janice & Yezmin to create another fantasy inspired concept. Titled Drago Island, the team had a mammoth task of producing a dragon head out of chocolate!

Yet another concept saw American chocolate sculptor Paul Joachim construct the Goddess of the Seas. The underlying metalwork is of particular interest, with Paul describing it as “a 5 foot long structure designed to break down and pack into a suitcase.”

He continues that it can ”hold over 20 lbs at the very end where a chocolate building emerges from her hair,” and also reveals that it had previously been used in Orlando, but is now in Malta.

Granted, chocolate may lead to heart disease and diabetes, but since we’re all dying there’s not much harm in enjoying life’s pleasures – wouldn’t you agree?

Just seeing these pictures make us go weak in the knees!