Sweetening gloomy Russia, one sugary chocolate bar at a time

When days are dark, friends are few and the state of your bank account makes you want to weep, there is only one thing you can do in bleak, crisis-hit Russia. Keep calm and eat some very expensive chocolate. That was the message from artisanal chocolatiers in Moscow who attended this past week the capital’s first chocolate fair in seven years, in a sign that even as their wallets are battered by the dismal state of the ruble, there are some luxuries Russians are not willing to give up.

It’s surprising but, even though there is a crisis, the demand for artisanal chocolate has increased. It’s apparently helping Russians to deal with the crisis in a lighter way, to not fall into depression.

Vitaly Ponomarev, a chocolatier with Russia’s upmarket Confael

And it isn’t hard to see why Russians would be down in the dumps. Western sanctions for the country’s role in backing separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine, combined with falling prices of oil - a key pillar of Russia’s economy - led to a dramatic crash of the ruble in December. And Russians have seen their grocery bills skyrocket as inflation rose to nearly 17 percent in February, with the prices of fruit and vegetables alone jumping 22 percent in one month. The price of cocoa has also soared. But while they may rein in spending on certain items, when it comes to chocolate some Russians insist on enjoying the melt-in-your-mouth treat, even though its often exorbitant price may melt their savings.

Odd News Russia