The Wedel confectionery factory, whose sweets have become an integral part of Poland's national identity, has opened its doors to visitors for the first time by opening a chocolate museum.
At the entrance, guests are greeted by a factory layout made entirely of chocolate. On the other side of the glass wall separating the museum from the production, workers are stirring sesame paste in giant cauldrons, which will soon turn into "Shalva" bars, a popular delicacy in Poland.
In the next room, visitors pass by women who are preparing sweets to be sent to customers. Without revealing the recipes, which are carefully kept secret, guests will be told about the "sniffers" - an elite group of about twenty tasters who determine the quality of chocolate by taste and smell.
The Wedel brand, which has a history dating back a century and a half, began with the Berlin pastry chef Karl Wedel, who in the 1850s opened a confectionery in Warsaw that quickly became famous. Son Emil developed the family business by opening a chocolate factory in the city center, and grandson Jan Wedel traveled to European pastry shops in search of the perfect product, which led him to create Ptasie Mleczko ("Bird's Milk"), a rectangular mousse with chocolate glaze, one of Wedel's flagship products.
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