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Dark chocolate

By Hubert Mangenot and Rafil Kroll-Zaidi (Trans.)

From an October 3 open letter by Hubert Mangenot, the president of the Douaumont ossuary, which holds the remains of soldiers killed in the 1916 Battle of Verdun, addressed to Frédéric Bianchi, president of the Federation of Bakers and Pastry Chefs of Meuse, France, producers of a series of chocolates in the form of local monuments and tourist attractions. Translated from the French by Rafil Kroll-Zaidi.

Dear Mr. President,

I was quite surprised that, without contacting us, you chose the Douaumont Ossuary for your campaign, “Crunch on Meuse!”

Ought one to “crunch on” a building that holds the remains of more than 130,000 soldiers, anonymous and unknown heroes, who, might I remind you, lost their lives to save Verdun and to stop the invader once and for all?

I am disillusioned by your way of doing business. Although it may have been unintended, it was insensitive of you not to discuss it with us. The soldiers who rest in our catacombs certainly never dreamed that, ninety years later, they would be “crunched on” for the Christmas festivities.

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SEE ALSO: Chocolate molds; Correspondence; Bianchi, Frédéric; Verdun, Battle of, 1916

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