Chocolate

DALLAS — Florists and chocolate-makers are working around the clock in the run-up to Valentine’s Day.

In Dallas, chocolatier Andrea Pedraza, who loves designer high heels, molded her pedestrian passion into chocolate form. Her most well-known creations are chocolate pumps done in the style of Christian Louboutin shoes.

Prices for the pumps range from $30 to $55, but more if you fill the heel with more chocolates.

Pedraza says men buy the chocolate pumps the most, so she keeps extras on hand for last-minute shoppers.

The delectable process of dipping tasty food items under a cascading waterfall of melted chocolate is seen by some as one of the greatest inventions for chocolate lovers. For others, it’s a rather messy dessert option.

Melting fountains used for chocolate fondue became a popular trend for reception centers, caterers, and chocolate vendors at wedding receptions, parties, and showers during the last 10 years.

Because it was a new and unique concept, chocolate fountains were a big hit for chocolate lovers. Some vendors and caterers still see a lot of demand for the trend, while others are noticing a decline.

HERSHEY, Pa. -- Foreign students working at a candy warehouse protested conditions and pay Thursday, chanting on Chocolate Avenue under streetlights shaped like Hershey's Kisses, arguing that they were employed under the guise of a cultural exchange but toil away in what amounts to a sweets sweatshop. The State Department said it was investigating.

More than 100 students gathered in touristy downtown Hershey, home to the nation's second-largest candy maker, complaining of hard physical labor, steep pay deductions for rent that often left them with little spending money, and no cultural enrichment. They said their concerns were met with threats of deportation.