Dark chocolate, chocolate drops, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate coins - such lovely treats to the palate! And they are all chocolates. The whole world loves them and they come in many sizes, shapes and flavors additional flavors to suit each chocolate lover's taste. How we love these goodies, but do you have any idea who introduced them to us?
Some 3,000 years ago, the Aztecs and the Mayans harvested cocoa pods from cacao trees, fermented them, and then prepared a bitter drink called xocoati, meaning "bitter water". Some of them also added vanilla or maize to dissolve the strong flavor. They drank the xocoati during religious ceremonies. In the year 1502, world conqueror Christopher Columbus brought cocoa beans back to Spain but it was only in 1519 that men took notice of chocolate. The Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortez, sampled the bitter drink from Aztec in the New World, which brought back the recipe to Spain. Princess Maria Therese married Loius the XIV of France, took the unique beverage back with her to Paris and, by the year 1657, a London shop was already selling solid chocolates.
How about the Belgian chocolate? Do you remember those times when you used to stare at those exquisitely crafted sea shell-looking brown candies mom and dad would bring home to you on Saturday evenings? The creation of the chocolate shell is what gives the Belgian chocolate its uniqueness. A chocolate shell filled with soft milk chocolate that melts inside a person's mouth is what we call the praline. The word was given to suit the shape of the shells which were handcrafted to reach near. These chocolates came to be known as ballotin de praline.
Today in Belgium, makers of this candy still create the pralines by hand. Over 170 thousand tons of products are being produced in Belgium every year. And quite many chocolate events still take place in the country each year. You can even sample these candies for free and get insights into the manufacturing process. Careful selection of the cocoa beans is the most important step in making these Belgian treats. Often, the cocoa seeds are being picked manually as the legend goes.
Currently, the industry which produces Belgian chocolates is more than a billion dollars and their products are available in almost every part of the world. Some prefer chocolate bars while others prefer the chocolate powder. Whatever the preference, Belgium always has some, if not the best chocolates you'll ever find in the world.
If you're thinking of gifts for somebody special, how about chocolate truffles or personalized chocolate bars? Could any gift be sweeter?
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