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Irvine, California: Mayan Pyramid Made of Chocolate (Gone)

A 1/30th scale replica of a Mayan pyramid, made of over nine tons of solid chocolate. As promised, it was destroyed December 21, 2012, the last-ever day in the Mesoamerican calendar.

Qzina Institute of Chocolate & Pastry

Directions:
The lengthy destruction of the pyramid began on December 21, 2012.
Hours:
2012: Gone with Mayan Apocalypse.
Status:
Gone

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Mayan chcocolate temple.

World's Largest Thing Made of Chocolate

This sculpture was built at a training kitchen for pastry chefs, sponsored by a company that imports and distributes chocolate, and was put on display to the public in June 2012. It's an exact 1/30th scale solid chocolate replica of a Mayan pyramid, 10 feet square, six feet tall, weighing over nine tons (It easily exceeds the scale of earlier solid chocolate creations such as Lenny the Chocolate Moose). A team of food artists spent over 400 hours sculpting the pyramid's details.

According to its press release, the sculpture was created in part "to honor the original chocolatiers" (the Mayans worshipped the stuff). As anyone who's watched Mel Gibson's Apocalypto knows, Mayan worship also involved human sacrifice, tearing out the still-beating hearts of victims, then bouncing their severed heads down the steps of a pyramid just like this one to cheering crowds.

None of that here, of course, but the Mayan dark side will be addressed when the sculpture is destroyed -- by a method yet to be announced -- on the last-ever day in the Mesoamerican calendar, December 21, 2012. Maybe a "death by chocolate" all-you-can-eat event?

[RoadsideAmerica.com Team, 06/04/2012]

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