La cioccolata e il Carnevale di Venezia
Il rito dell’Afternoon Tea Carnival Edition all’Hotel Danieli
At Carnival, there is an essential custom that the Venetians know well: it is the afternoon hot chocolate ritual to be consumed in one of the grand hotels and historic cafés of the Lagoon city, preferably in eighteenth-century dress to savor all the magic of this traditional celebration.
Chocolate arrived in Venice at the end of the 17th century, after having been introduced to Spain in the 16th century following its discovery in the “West Indies”, i.e. in Latin America, by Christopher Columbus and other conquistadors.
Venice, a fashionable metropolis at the time, became one of the major centers of diffusion of the “food of the Gods”, and, not surprisingly, it was here that the first real café in Europe was born, the legendary Caffè Florian in Piazza San Marco.
How good is chocolate, which is drunk in company! Health and happiness make you more beautiful throughout the day.
(Carlo Goldoni, Il viaggiatore ridicolo, 1794)
Soon, it became a real fashion of the time, as one of the greatest witnesses of the 18th century Venice, the painter Pietro Longhi, tells us in various works including “The Morning Chocolate” where we see a noblewoman intent on having breakfast in bed with a nice cup of chocolate.
And Atelier Pietro Longhi is the name of one of the main artisan workshops specialized in the study, creation and restoration of period clothing; “dream ateliers” famous throughout the world for the rental of Carnival dresses which become objects of desire for the most exclusive parties and events linked to this celebration.
Whether you have been invited to a party in a palace on the Grand Canal, or whether you want a walk in Venice in costume, Francesco Briggi and Raffaele Dessì, respectively owner and artisan tailor and artistic director of the Atelier Pietro Longhi, await you in the showroom in Noale to rent you the perfect dress.
Once dressed, where to go to try the hot chocolate ritual? This year the novelty to try is offered by one of the most legendary hotels in the world, the Danieli in Riva degli Schiavoni which created the ritual of the famous Afternoon Tea in an unprecedented Carnival Edition.
Here, then, at the wonderful Dandolo Bar on the ground floor of the hotel, set up on the theme of Carnival and Marco Polo’s routes, the afternoon tea served in the English style, complete with silverware and porcelain, gives way to hot chocolate in cup and cakes to pastries to the traditional and delicious frittelle, galani and fried cream. Book the table in front of the monumental fireplace and, perhaps, even order a glass of champagne.
From 27 January to 13 February, the carnival period, the sous chefs of the Hotel Danieli, Michele, Giuliano and Sebastiano, have also created a tasting menu to try at the Restaurant Terrazza Danieli inspired by the theme of the 2024 carnival “To the east, the amazing journey of Marco Polo”.
Typical dishes of the Venetian tradition have been revisited with spices and aromas from the East, such as Chinese ravioli reinterpreted with a Vicenza-style cod filling.
Viva il Carnevale!
The Secret
The term “chocolate” seems to derive from the word xocolatl of the Aztec population from Mexico, a union of the words xocolli (bitter) and atl (water).
Useful Info
Hotel Danieli
Atelier Pietro Longhi
Hot chocolate: 10 euro
The Dandolo English Afternoon Tea Carnival Edition (from 15 to 18): 50 euro including tea or hot chocolate, a selection of canapès, frittelle, galani and crema fritta
Period dress rental: from about 140 euro
