Chocolate elephant in the room: 100kg figure installed at Barcelona museum

There is one elephant in the room they are talking about: the 1.5-meter-high, 100kg chocolate figure installed at the Chocolate Museum in Barcelona on Monday.

It is the work of Lluc Crusellas, a chocolatier from Osona in central Catalonia. He became the youngest person ever to be awarded the title of World Chocolate Master for producing the piece, which will now reside in the Barcelona museum's permanent collection. 

After an installation process lasting more than three hours, the chocolate elephant is on display in a temperature- and humidity-controlled cabinet.  

There was a minor incident when one of the elephant's ears cracked, but Crusellas said that the breakage was "normal," given to the complexity of handling and moving chocolate. 

Since the elephant's success in competition in Paris, it has been on display in various places, including Harrods luxury department store in London. 

"I am very proud to bring this figure here," Crusellas told media in Barcelona, "for its significance for me and for Catalonia's chocolate and baking industry." 

The chocolatier explained that the figure installed in Barcelona was one of those that went to the competition in Paris as a reserve, and that it had been a "challenge" to transport it so many times. 

His team had to consider weight, gravity and balance to ensure the piece would stand properly. 

The chocolate figure, which contains anchors as well as a lot of detail, must be kept at a stable temperature of between 18C and 20C degrees and at a constant humidity. 

"Bringing the elephant home to the Chocolate Museum, is something that makes me very happy. I’m also indebted to them, which is why this elephant will stay here." 

Crusellas currently leads the pastry chefs at El Carme, in Vic, where the award-winning figure has also been exhibited.