GENEVA - Should you use sparkling water? A blender? A whip, or maybe just a flick of the wrist? What really is the best way to foam hot chocolate? Pierre Hermé, the god of chocovores, lists no fewer than 18 different options in his dictionary of chocolate. David Silveria, bartender at Beau-Rivage in Geneva, serves only three versions: 70% dark, tonka bean, and ginger. In any case, one thing is clear: This sweet brown nectar, known since the time of the Olmecs, is experiencing a comeback in chocolate bars around the world.

In Geneva, the bar at the Beau-Rivage hotel becomes a family zone every Sunday afternoon, driving out businessmen in favor of youngsters armed with skewers of marshmallows, ready to meet the irresistible call of chocolate fountains. The marble and zinc palace disappears under towers of black forest cakes, tiramisu, chocolate-hazelnut millefeuilles, tarts, macaroons, exotic fruit skewers, and ladyfingers all waiting to be dipped into a creamy vat of cocoa.

"We wanted to differentiate ourselves from the other major hotels, most of which offer traditional English tea," said Israel Benyair, director of catering. "I tested this concept successfully in Boston. Our customers were 95% women. They were happy to entrust us with their children for an afternoon of competitions and blind tasting. The clientele of the Beau-Rivage is family oriented, but the success is the same."

The Beau-Rivage is conducting this experiment for its second winter, but it was preceded by a few other pioneers. In Fribourg, Villars opened a Swiss Chocolate Café in 2003 on the site of the old Chocolate Factory. That same year, the chic Parisian chocolatier Jean-Paul Hévin set up shop in Japan. Soon thereafter, Lindt opened its first Chocolate Bar in Sydney, followed by three other stores in Australia and two in Tokyo. Most recently, the company designed a chocolate bar for its new shop in the Zurich airport. Meanwhile, Pierre Hermé has gained a foothold at the Stade de France with the support of a Belgian sponsor. The chocolate competition has spread everywhere.

Flocking to chocolate

So who started it? "The idea is very fashionable at the moment," says Alexandre Sacerdoti, director of Villars chocolates. "The Japanese have long devoted street corners to the tasting of namachuko, a type of chocolate ganache, and in the United States, the chain Max Brenner has made drinking chocolate a trademark."

Artisans and entrepreneurs have been flocking to chocolate in recent years, as can be seen around Paris and other capital cities. Some offer workshops, demonstrations and tastings, and even allow customers to assist in production. Others offer initiatory experiences: Discover great wines paired with foie gras and melted chocolate ...

For Lindt, this approach has enabled the company "to be known in new markets and position itself successfully as a high-end brand," notes spokeswoman Nina Keller. Its four Australian shops attracted 1.4 million customers last year.

For Max Brenner chocolate, there is also the whole process of making chocolate. The company demonstrates a commitment to transparency and staging that seems at the heart of the 21st century culinary experience. At Max Brenner's, chocolate is a part of a ceremony, in order to make the drink "cozy, full of warmth and fragrance." Same goes for Lindt, which offers "experience and a way to invite travelers into our universe."

"So much time and energy has been spent studying candies and chocolate bars," says Lise Luka, creator of the Geneva Salon of Chocolate. "But much less time has been devoted to drinking chocolate, which offers a return to the craft, old traditions, and childhood connections."

It's a true homecoming, because chocolate was, in fact, known only in its liquid form until the 1850s. "The drink always maintained a therapeutic and aphrodisiac aspect, but the chocolate was very bitter," says historian François de Capitani. "Chocolate's great popularity as a beverage is related to the democratization of sugar. The addition of milk, cinnamon and other flavors was a great triumph for children, women and the sick."

Still, two opposing schools are now emerging on the hot cocoa front. There are the purists, such as Patrick Carvalho, who exclaim "No way one should add milk, what heresy!" On the other side are people who crave a taste of nostalgia and childhood. For them it's sugar and milk, maybe even cream.

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Photo - Or Hiltch