Budget Traveler

by Tania Machowska

Belgian Chocolates are the best, and please dare to say that they are the best in the whole world.

What better present then a box of chocolates to buy when visiting Belgian. Brussels and Antwerp has many little chocolate gift shops and it is hard not to walk in.

These days you can go online to order your box of chocolates, from producer to your front door, in 40 different countries, even in Belgium, although it is more charming to get them at a chocolate shop or at the bakery, the offer in pralines is as variable as the cakes, bread and sandwiches you can buy.

Jean Neuhaus arrived from Switzerland in 1857 and he settled himself together with his brother in law who was a pharmacist in Brussels at the Konningine galerij (Queens gallery), a very well known gallery at the centre of Brussels, in fact he first covered gallery in Europe. They opened a pharmaceutical bakery, initially it was the intention to give a sweet flavour to medicines that had an awful taste, it was a fantastic idea and it leaded to the revolution of the bonbons. The little chocolate factory was a fact, in 1912 Jean (the grandchild of Jean Neuhaus) baptised the bonbons into ‘praline’ , chocolate creams.

A few years later, Balottine, Jean’s wife discovered the best way to represent the praline, she putted them into a little box that gave the bonbons a real luxurious appearance.

Neuhaus, Leonidas, Callebaut, Meurris, Cote d’Or, Guylian, Godiva are all well known chocolate brands and they all have been in hands of Belgian producers, put that was a long time ago, for example Godiva is now in hands of the American producers of Campbell, the soup.

Callebaut is the producer of chocolate to big companies, it has been in hands of the Callebaut family, in 1987 Swiz company Suchard is the owner now.

Leonidas isn’t the most expensive chocolate and it exists from 1970, when a Greek-Turkish family came over to Belgium, they settled in Genth where they opened a candy store, and although Jean was a female doctor she found her amusement in chocolate and eventually Leonidas came on the market.

Tania Machowska is a former model with experience of being a Brussels catwalk model having spent years in the fashion houses of Antwerp. She enjoyed dining out in the many fine restaurants in Brussels.

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by Darren Craddock

There is an important difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate. These terms are often used interchangeably, but the distinction is in the nutritional properties. Hot cocoa is made from raw cocoa powder, which is pressed chocolate which removes the fat of the cocoa butter. Hot chocolate is made from chocolate bars melted into a cream or ground into a powder. Often hot chocolate has a very high sugar and fat content and low cocoa content. Cocoa can be very good for you, especially if you minimize the sugar and fat.

Hot cocoa has been around a long time and for good reason. It is one of the most potent antioxidant beverages you can drink, plus it is naturally delicious! Archeologists have found that the oldest civilization of the Americas, the Olmecs, (1500-400 BC), were probably the first users of cacao. The Mayans continued consuming-based drinks made with beans. Chocolatl was the name of a drink made from roasted cocoa beans, water and spices and was consumed voraciously by the aristocracy. They primarily drank cocoa but the beans were also valued as a currency.


Drink of the gods
Originally these ancient people drank and unsweetened version of hot cocoa. This hot cocoa recipe was a mixture of ground cocoa beans, water, wine, and peppers. Soon the Spaniards begin heating the mixture adding sweeteners like sugar. In England, they added milk and created a sweet after dinner drink

Nowadays people are discovering the powerful nutritional benefits of the cocoa bean. Recent research has found that the flavonoids in chocolate are more powerful than vitamins such as ascorbic acid in protecting circulating lipids from oxidation.And researchers discovered that people who eat chocolate and sweets up to three times each month live almost a year longer than people who eat too much or folks that steer clear of junk altogether. (This is from a study done at the Harvard School of Public Health)

Now that we understand that cocoa is good for us, how do we make sure we are getting the bountiful health benefits of the cocoa chocolate? First get pure cocoa powder. You can identify it by its dark brown color and bitter taste. Next, try mixing it with hot water and low fat milk or milk substitutes, like soy or coconut milk powder. Add a natural sweetener like agave nectar, honey or turbino sugar.

Hot cocoa provides more antioxidants

Even though cocoa beans have 500 times more anti-oxidants than blueberries; studies indicate that adding a diary product actually blocks the body’s ability to properly absorb them. In order to get the most antioxidants, mix ground cocoa with non-dairy liquids for hot chocolate, smoothies or shakes. You can enjoy drinking cocoa if it is hot or cold but heating the cocoa triggers the release of more antioxidants.

For many years the common conception of hot cocoa was that of a commercially prepared packet mix that was basically sugared flavored chocolate turned into a sweetened instant powder and marketed to children. Now adults are finding that the drink they loved as kids is better than taking vitamins! Drink your cocoa hot and pure and enjoy the best tasting health drink available.


Darren Craddock is an expert in Naturopathy, Nutrition, Herbology,
Massage, and Yoga. Free Report: Discover how to keep from getting sick and have more energy! Enjoy a delicious and healthy Hot Cocoa Drink with Cocoa Mojo. Get some at www.enerhealthbotanicals.com

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