|
by
Christine Harte
Madlyn Zahir,
owner of
Edelweiss Chocolates
There is an entire chocolate factory hidden in Beverly Hills!
Since 1942, Edelweiss Chocolates on Canon Drive has operated an entire candy factory behind a sweet little store front.
Actually, it isn’t really a secret. So pristine is this facility that owner Madlen Zahir welcomes anyone who wants to see the inner workings of her chocolate store at almost anytime.
As I toured through the gigantic space, I couldn’t help but notice how clean and organized
everything was.
The employees were hardly Lucy and Ethel.
Each and every one had worked at Edelweiss for a decade or more.
Their jobs perfected by years of practice.
Candy car wash
For a chocolate connoisseur like me, I was sure I had died and gone to heaven. Every piece of chocolate made fresh, by hand, every day. The marshmallows were like clouds….soft, pillowy, and delicious. I tried them, and then I tried everything else.
Chocolate turtles with nuts roasted that day tasted different than any other turtle
I had ever eaten. The chocolate had such a subtle aroma, I felt almost dizzy from it’s intoxicating perfume.
Dried fruit covered in dark chocolate was sweeter somehow, as though it had fallen off some mythical dried fruit tree. Candy just isn’t the same for me anymore.
As I watched gigantic mixers churn creamy milk chocolate, I suddenly understood why it was such an amazing antidepressant. It wasn’t just that it was full of antioxidants- it just makes people happy.
Baskets made entirely out of chocolate, filled with chocolate, and wrapped up in a perfect package. And perfect it was. In fact each and every piece of candy is perfect, or it’s pitched.
Edelweiss employees making the perfect marshmallow
The candy police are always in the house, and the ugly ones don’t get released.
And the store is filled with innovative gift items, from adorable singing and dancing stuffed animals, to molded chocolate figurines.
I didn’t want to leave.
Apparently Edelweiss has been a Beverly Hills favorite since the glamorous era of Katherine Hepburn, and Liz Taylor. Aaron Spelling has his own favorite combination, and Jeffrey Katzenburg actually drew out a chocolate map, kept on file to make sure all of his candies were in the proper place!Even Madonna has breezed by on her bicycle for a little treat.
Willy Wonka would be proud!
Edelweiss Chocolates-444 N. Canon Dr, Beverly Hills. 310-275-0341 |
