San Carlos de Bariloche Shopping

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Mamuschka es el Chocolate Más Rico de la patagonia argentina. Chocolate artesanal de Bariloche. Donde se puede comprar chocolate artesanal argentino. Presenta gran variedad de chocolates: chocolate en rama, bombones rellenos, turrones y mazapan.
Inspirada en las tradicionales muñequitas rusas,
Chocolate en rama, bombones rellenos, chocolate caliente en paila de cobre.
Una colosal y calórica delicia

What to buy: chocolate en rama, bombones rellenos, turrones, mazapan, chocolate caliente en paila de cobre.

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Bariloche has been synonymous with chocolates since the the first European immigrants established the busines in the '40s. The bulk of the companies have stores in the 200 and 300 blocks of Mitre, one of the two main streets that traverse downtown.

Fortunately many of the stores give free samples. A few have small restaurant areas where you can order light meals and many types of hot chocloate and coffees. Many of the hot chocolates are served 'high octane' style. One time I had to order a glass of milk and mix it half and half with the hot chocolate it was so concentrated! Prices per kilo are quite uniform throughout town, so you just have to decide what kind you like the best. Some stores have their own special combinations of fillings in their handmade pieces and come up with a new creation every year.

One form of chocolate that is seen everywhere is 'en ramo' which looks like a bundle of chocolate twigs about 5 inches long.

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Lots of claims are made for rose hip oil - that it reduces age spots, wrinkes and scarring among them. Snake oil? Who knows - whether you buy into that is up to you, but the lotions, shampoos, creams and the like that are made using the rose oil have a lovely old-fashioned appeal and perfume and it's hard to resist buying at least one bottle or pot of something.

Travelling along the Avenida Bustillo towards Llao Llao, you can't miss the roadside shop with the Russian mamushka standing outside. No, its not a branch of the chocolate shop of that name in town, this shop sells another of Bariloche's favourites - rose oil products.

What to buy: Distilled from the hips of the wild rose that grows here, Rosa Mosqueta, the oil is used in a wide variety of cosmetic products, lotions and potions, jams and jellies, teas and tisanes - all of which are for sale both here and in several shops in Bariloche itself.

Bariloche's claim to be the Chocolate Capital of the world seems well deserved - a walk down Mitre Street soon tells you that. Chocolate of every variety, shape and size is there. And delicious chocolate it is too.

If you're wondering why this little corner of Patagonia has adopted chocolate culture so completely, it all began back in the years after WW2 whwn European immigrants to the region brought their chocolate-making skills with them. What began as a small, cottage industry of hand-made treats has grown into a giant, and although some place pride themselves on their hand-made chocolates - and most adverise their product as such - these days most of it is machine-produced with some hand-finishing, but it's all still very tempting.

It's all good I'm sure, but we opted for Mamushka's - no particular reason but the bright packaging with its Russian doll theme suited one of the people we were buying for.

What to buy: Liqueur-, nut-, creme-, praline-, caramel-, mint-filled chocolates - you name it, it will be there somewhere. Smooth dark chocolate-covered candied orange peel was my favourite.

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Moreno street and Mitre street are the heart of Bariloche's shopping center. You will find anything you need over there. Many shops focus on tourists, but there are many 'regular' shops too. After all, Baroliche is the no. 1 city of Patagonia, and the Patagonians have to buy things too!

What to buy: Bariloche is famous for its chocolate. It is nice to see what people can make out of chocolate. Many of the shops are like a small museum.

What to pay: The chocolate is pretty expensive considering the general price level in Argentina.

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There are many chocolate shops on Mitre street in the town of Bariloche. I think all the chocolate there is pretty good. You can pick out which chocolate pieces you want and you pay by the weight. They even have the chocolate shops in the Bariloche airport, in case you forgot to stock up. I like the Chocolate Mousse pieces, the Chocolates with Caramel (Caramelo). My mother-in-law likes the white chocolate pieces. The chocolate in Bariloche is handmade and it's a swiss town, which explains why the chocolate is so good. You can bring it back as gifts for your friends and family.

What to buy: Handmade chocolate.

What to pay: I think I spent about $10 USD and got a little box filled with the chocolate pieces of my choice.

What to buy: There are many shops that sell chocolate in Bariloche ... and for good reason, it is some of the best in the world. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate ... bars (or "ramas") with nuts or without it is all excellent. Better buy twice what you think because your friends will eat it all!!!

The quality of the chocolate as well as the combination of flavours make this brand my favourite.
Also the boxes where they put the chocolate is another detail I love. They are all red with a group of mamuchkas in the center. And they are made of either cardboard, tin or wood.
Oh, there's one (only one) in Buenos Aires, on Sucre and Cabildo street, in Belgrano.

What to buy: Chocolate bars with almonds, filled with dulce de leche or tiramisu... mmmhhhh... too many to name!
Also jellies made from Rosa Mosqueta, raspberries, blackberries, etc.

What to pay: 38 pesos per kilo