The food culture in the central town of Hamrun is becoming more exciting as time goes by. A simple walk or drive through Hamrun’s main road, St Joseph High Street, quickly reveals it as perhaps the most multicultural area in Malta, and this is reflected in the culinary experiences available within the town. Afghan, Syrian, Italian and Turkish cuisine are all staple and respected establishments here.

A variety of ethnic cuisines is not Hamrun’s only culinary forte, though. The town is also home to chocolate production, and, every year, holds a staple chocolate festival featuring chocolatiers from all over Malta.

Home to cocoa beans?

Although the link between Hamrun and chocolate is somewhat vague, word on the street is that back in the era of the Knight’s of St John, throughout the rule of Grand Master Perelos, cocoa beans were stored in the village of Hamrun, in an area known as tas-Samra. Despite this, it appears that no recorded documentation about this has ever been discovered.  

Hamrun is also home to Unica 1658, a shop producing, selling and supplying the chocolate which dates back to the date the name suggests, based on Gianfrancesco Buonamico’s original recipe - not too shabby as an ancient link then!

Art - where chocolate is the material

(Yes that is Elvis). Falling on 27th October, the festival celebrates chocolate both as a food and as a form of art. Chocolate painting, chocolate face-painting and chocolate sculptures can be seen as you walk through the street. Of course, there are also many stalls giving you the opportunity to indulge in chocolate in a variety of ways. On a waffle, on a pancake, as a beverage, or merely by itself.

The health benefits of chocolate

We are well aware that excessive intake of chocolate is unhealthy, however, in other senses and through other uses, chocolate can also prove to be beneficial to our well being. Chocolate is being used increasingly in beauty products; cocoa therapies and chocolate massages. When used on the skin, chocolate reportedly moisturises and firms the skin. Meanwhile, dark chocolate is extremely rich in antioxidants.

And well, just how much chocolate is too much chocolate and how much should we allow in our daily diet? The health benefits of chocolate are also explored at the festival.