The chocolate Eiffel Tower - a Paris reminiscent experience for lovers

Master chocolatier Florin Balan, the owner of a confectionery shop in the town of Cisnadie (Sibiu County), designed an ingenious and affordable solution for local enamored couples who, for various reasons, miss out on the chance to declare their romantic sentiments in the city of love, Paris: a chocolate replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Photos by Isabela PAULESCU / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

"As of last year we started producing the small-scale chocolate replica of the Eiffel Tower. Our tower made of milk chocolate and dark chocolate is 42 centimeters high and weighs 700 grams. It is a successful product. Depending on the season, we fit the tower with various accessories. During Christmas season there's Santa on top of the tower, now we adorn it according to the customer's request. For instance, with tiny hearts, or miniature violins. The Eiffel Tower with no accessories costs 150 lei," Florin Balan told AGERPRES.

Whereas the real Eiffel Tower in Paris last year saw a record-high number of 7.1 million visitors, the chocolate replica molded in the Cisnadie confectionery shop successfully earned a place among the Romanian fine chocolate lovers' options for a special gift or a unique desert. The tower is made of Callebaut chocolate, which is considered among the world's finest sorts.

In Romania, the Eiffel Tower can be bought only from Florin Balan's confectionery shop.

A look in the Cisnadie-based confectionery shop

Freshly returned from the Bocuse d'Or top culinary competition held in Lyon (France), Florin Balan attempts to set the finesse trend in matters of chocolate. He is the only Romanian who attended the last editions of the World Chocolate Masters in Paris ? the premier culinary competition devoted solely to the art...