Chocolate from Brussels!!!!

Well, well, well.... guess what?!  My husband will be taking me to Brussels this Spring! He goes there for business on regular basis so I heard about all those great food he has eaten there but this time I can get to eat mussels in Brussels with fries for real... can't wait!

In the meantime he has brought me a box of Belgium Chocolate from Brussels.  This one is by Corne Port-Royal (http://www.corneportroyal.com/en.htm) founded in 1932. Their website informs me that they have some twenty 'boutiques' (yes, boutiques, not shops!) within Belgium, continues in its tradition of authentic recipes that have remained unchanged for over a century and gourmet expertise.

The website also informs me that you use all senses to enjoy chocolate - sight, tough, hearing (huh..?), taste and smell. It says, 'The chocolate should look smooth and lustrous. A well-made chocolate should give as you bite into it. If a praline starts to melt in your hand before you've had the chance to put it in your mouth, that's a good sign: it indicates that it contains cocoa butter. And let it melt in your mouth, pressing the chocolate to your palate to release all its flavours.' Mmmmmmmm...

Gianduja with coffee praline, yummy!!!

A praline is made by caramelising sugar syrup, hazelnuts and almonds together before being ground to varying levels of fineness. This one is Gianduna, a mixture of finely-ground hazennuts and powered sugar to which chocolate is added. Gianduja comes from the Piedmont region of Italy.

I have also learnt that chocolates are best kept in a dry place, away from strong odours and at a temperature of between 15 - 18 degree, and not in the fridge. 

Wow, eating chocolate has moved to a new level after this....

I shall visit few chocolate 'boutiques' while we are there, tasting the real Belgian chocolate in Belgium, however I also want to have Belgian waffles, mussels with fries of course and Belgian beer!  I will tell you all about these when I come back....

That's all forks!