The 9th Annual Chocolate Show: Insider Tips!

• If you want tons of free truffles, do head to Pierre Gourmet at the very back of the Metropolitan Pavilion. People were coming away with handfuls. (Surprisingly, a few vendors this year offered no free samples at all - maybe someone should speak to John & Kira and Cocoa Locoa!)



• For a free sample of banana dipped in chocolate from a chocolate fountain, go to Chocolat Weiss in the Altman building. Divalicious, in the Metropolitan Pavilion Building, will charge you at least $3 for your sample, and the melted chocolate isn't as warm.



• However, if you want to sip free hot chocolate instead of paying $1 at Chocolat Weiss, go to Schokinag, which is serving up samples of hot chocolate in all kinds of flavors: Triple Chocolate, Dulce De Leche, and Chocolate Mint!

You can also taste a raw cocoa bean from the Ivory Coast, be spritzed with chocolate cologne, buy a prescription bottle of cocoa nibs from Michel Cluizel, and taste an award-winning chocolate-chip cookie by Baking By Design. And on Saturday, don't miss the demonstrations of Alex Urena's chocolate foie gras terrine and Gina DePalma's chocolate polenta crostata!