The International Chocolate Awards officially announced on Monday (July 15) that the International Chocolate Awards 2019 Asia-Pacific -- Bean-to-Bar and Chocolatier Competition is to be held in Taiwan's Pingtung County, reports the Liberty Times.

This will mark the second time the competition, known as the "Oscar of the chocolate industry," has taken place in Asia as well as the second time Taiwan has been chosen to host it. Last year's Awards were held in Kaohsiung, where judges were reportedly wowed by the 726 submissions they sampled from 14 countries in the region, according to the news agency.

The Awards will be jointly administered by the Hakka Affairs Council (客家委員會) and the Council of Agriculture's Soil and Water Conservation Bureau (水土保持局).

Pingtung is an appropriate site for the event, as it is starting to gain a reputation for its nascent chocolate industry, complete with cultivation, processing, and sales capabilities. With a hot, humid climate, the area makes for an ideal environment for cocoa trees, and chocolate produced there has been lauded for its quality.



The competition requires a clean, odorless venue, and will, therefore, take place at Pingtung Mei University. Organizers expect a record number of competitors this year, and the judges may well spend an entire week tasting the delectable entries, the Liberty Times reports.



To provide ample time for all entries to be judged, entries in the plain/origin bean-to-bar category must be sent to a remote receiving venue by July 28. Other types of entries, such as bonbons, truffles, and flavored bars made from couverture chocolate, must be submitted by August 30, according to the Awards official website.

Winners will be announced on September 7 at an awards ceremony, which all entrants and judges are welcome to attend. See the International Chocolate Awards official website for full details.