Notes on chocolate: the shop that makes Copenhagen even more wonderful

Since there’s very little point telling you about chocolate that won’t get to you in time for Christmas, I’m going to tell you the story of a chocolatier I found in Copenhagen. I was on the way to the Danish Design Museum, the first half of which seemed more about philosophical questions rather than design (‘Should you be able to order your own death?’). There, half peaking out on to the pavement was a little chocolate shop. It was the sort you had to commit to, walking down the stairs, into… the unknown.

So I went to the Design Museum first and Googled the shop – Alida Marstrand– and it seemed really promising. On the way back we ventured in.

Alida opened her shop in 1930, after her husband died, leaving her with five children to support. Using her mother’s recipes, she started making chocolates. Alida survived the war and ‘several economic crises’ and eventually retired, passing the shop on to her daughter, Tove.

The current – sixth – owner is Gunhild Persson, a pastry chef and chocolatier. I loved this little shop. The assistant gave me and my daughter sample after sample. The marzipan they make and use is absolutely exquisite. Probably the best I’ve tasted. We bought chocolate-covered orange peel and some sort of what I call posh newsagent bars: praline and peanuts. There were others. I should have bought more. There are a limited number of products available online but really, isn’t this a lovely excuse to go to Copenhagen?

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