Tag: Chocolate

Belgian Chocolate Biscuits Collection: A Delicious Gift

Since the discovery of chocolates, a lot of people have been crazy about it. In fact, in today’s world, people are still craving for great tasting and fine chocolates from different parts of the world. You have to consider that everyone loves chocolates. In fact, even your dieting sister is secretly stashing chocolates in their bedroom. Besides, who can resist a great tasting chocolate?

This treat is definitely loved by all kinds of people. From kids to elder people, chocolates are one of the most popular candies in the world. Today, there are different countries that produce their kind of chocolate. Each country has a special chocolate and each offers great tasting fine chocolate. However, you have to consider that only a few countries are famous for their chocolates and one of these countries is Belgium.

Belgium is considered to be one of the best chocolate producers in the world. They produce high quality and find chocolates that everyone from all over the world really loves. In fact, many people purchase Belgian chocolates in duty free terminals in international airports as gifts to their loved ones. Some who has the money for it travels all the way to Belgium just to get a taste of the different Belgian chocolates that the country has to offer.

If you are a person who loves chocolates, you will never want to miss tasting the Belgian chocolate. In fact, chocolate lovers from all over the world say that you can never get enough of Belgian chocolates and you definitely can’t not try and eat one even if you are on a diet.

One kind of Belgian chocolate is called the Belgian chocolate biscuits. In this kind of chocolate, the biscuit is covered with creamy Belgian chocolate. It also comes in different varieties of Belgian chocolate. There is milk chocolate, dark chocolate and there are also white chocolate coated biscuits available.

People have said that you will be missing a part of your life if you havent tasted Belgian chocolate biscuits. You have to consider that there are Belgian chocolate biscuits manufacturers located all over the world that produces great quality Belgian chocolate biscuits.

Here are a variety of high quality Belgian chocolate biscuits that you can consider buying at least once:

Grand Biscuit Selection
Diavola Chocolate Biscuits
Amouretto Chocolate Biscuits
Amandaggio Almond Biscuits
Ophelia Chocolate Biscuits

These are some of the Belgian chocolate biscuits brand that you have to consider buying. It is made from high quality biscuits and also high quality Belgian chocolates.

You will see that Belgian chocolates are different from other kinds of chocolates. You have to consider that Belgian chocolates are creamy and offer a not-so-sweet taste. Because of this, Belgian chocolates became world famous and will make you want for more.

There was even a story of a person that was given Belgian chocolates where she planned to make it last for up to five days. However, when she tasted the chocolate for the first time, the entire box of Belgian chocolates lasted for only thirty minutes.

Belgian chocolates truly offer high quality chocolates. So, if you havent tasted Belgian chocolates, particularly Belgian chocolate biscuits, you have to consider buying one. It can be expensive, but after you tasted one, you will know that it’s worth every penny.

The Health Benefits of Sugar-less Belgian Chocolates

It seems like a nightmare for some to realize that there does exist sugar-free Belgian chocolates. After all, doesnt it sound crazy? Chocolates, especially those made by heavenly Belgian chocolatiers, are supposed to be sweet and without the magic touch of sugar the taste would be entirely different!

Is this a joke? Has the world gone mad? Well, no and yes. It is not a joke and the world is still crazy about chocolates. Even the diabetics crave for it and the concoction of a sugar-free Belgian chocolate will finally allow them to have a little taste of this legendary sweet. Whats more is that being sugar-free doesnt mean that it does not taste as good as those with sugar. Who would think of the day when Belgian chocolates would not cause any rise in blood sugar levels. Its amazing how science today can make these things happen.

What makes these chocolates still taste sweet even without the presence of sugar is the substance Maltitol. Maltitol is a corn-based sweetener. It tastes, functions, and gives massiveness to food just like what sugar does. With all these factors, the use of maltitol is beneficial for diabetic individuals as well as those who eat low carbohydrate diets. And maltitol also prevents tooth decay.

Being sugar-free, just about anybody who needs to cut down on sugar can taste, at least, this kind of Belgian chocolate. Some attest to the fact that there is no difference at all, but still there are others who say there is a distinct taste of the prized chocolate being sugar free.

With sugar-free Belgian chocolates, diabetics and the health conscious can freely experience the pleasure of eating this mouth watering delicacy, feeling the meltdown of these sweets in the mouth, which then leads to the release of endorphins. Endorphin is a kind of hormone that can make you feel good. Thats why people who feel a bit down crave chocolates.

But the best feature of a chocolate that is sugar-free is that it has its health benefits which recent studies have proven. These chocolates are not only sugar free but have also have low amounts of calories. Moreover, Belgian chocolates that are sugar-free compared to green tea and red wine contains more antioxidants. An antioxidant is a group of substances that are organic which may include vitamins A, C, and E, carotenoids, and selenium. Antioxidants are believed to be efficient in the prevention of stroke, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.

In addition to antioxidants, sugar-free Belgian chocolates may also contain flavonoids. Flavonoids, which its activities resemble that of antioxidants, can prevent allergic reactions, fights off viruses, prevent inflammation, and an abnormal increase in platelets. It is basically benefits the cardiovascular system as it lessens blood platelets and thwarts off abnormal clotting. It is also believed to prevent the occurrence of cancer.

Being sugar-free, you dont have to worry about the rise in sugar blood levels while thinking that chocolates contradictorily reduce the danger of high blood pressure. Without sugar, this contradiction is eliminated. The reduced incidence of high blood pressure is due to the fact that cocoa beans have nitric oxide and nitric acid that is associated with low blood pressure.

So, with Belgian chocolates that are free of sugar, there is no way that diabetics and the health conscious can avoid this sweet taste of heaven. Nothing will stop them anymore from taking a bite of these precious little things. Just dont eat more than you can digest, though.

The Proud Leonidas Belgian Chocolates

Leonidas Kesdekidis, an ordinary Greek citizen was the founder of Leonidas Belgian Chocolates. His company bears his name as the founder of the company who makes wonderful delights like pralines, truffles and other heavenly chocolate assortments. Mr. Kesdekidis arrived at Brussels in the year 1910 and a bit later on marrying one of the locals making him decide to get settled in the said place. He made a large array of pralines in his place situated close to Rempart de Moines for a living.

Mr. Kesdikidis and his descendants goal was to get his home-made wonderful delights of pralines as close as possible to as many consumers, not to mention every creators dream to let the rest of the world know their chocolate concoctions. His strategy of combining world-class quality and the best price is still unbeatable up to this date. Leonidas products are far different from the chocolates of other brands. The fact that only Leonidas has the most concern for the freshness of its chocolates makes it unique and unbeatable. Meanwhile the other brands strategy to make their products fresh is that they have to repackage the product to look fresh but what about the product itself? Yes, the package is fresh but the content is still the same. Whereas at Leonidas, the chocolates will only be boxed on the day that the customers order is received. Other chocolates quality of freshness may be risked for the necessity of longevity. What they do is they are likely to be pre-packed and or intended to be on a shelf of department stores or supermarkets, but not with Leonidas.

At Leonidas, longevity is not a problem because of the packing strategy; instead the main concern is not to compromise the quality of the produce in other terms. Like in the aspect of the ingredients. Most chocolate makers use vegetable fats on their chocolates but with Leonidas they prefer to use genuine cocoa butter. Because of the very high standards that Leonidas had they were able to obtain an ISO 9001 certificate for the produces quality, which by the way is very much over the needed requirement for the production of chocolates.

Leonidas deliver only at the places where there are Leonidas outlets like Hollywood and all over United Kingdom and Belgium. However, they refuse to export for the reason that they didnt want to risk the freshness of every chocolate bar that goes out of their stores but customers outside United Kingdom will be able to send to their loved ones that lives within the country. To date there is only a small number of sellers of Leonidas chocolates because of the high standard requirement that every seller has to comply with for the very cautious storing and freshness concerns.

The chocolates are wrapped in 500grams, 750grams, and one kilogram boxes. Upon order you will not be experiencing the hassle of putting it on presentation boxes for the box alone that Leonidas use will suffice for they are already gift wrapped and there also offer different sorts of gift wrapping, as well as the standard wrap, luxury and or seasonal choices.

These chocolates are supposed to be consumed within 21 days after it is purchased. They should not be kept too long otherwise the freshness and or the quality will not be the same of what is expected of it, although keeping it refrigerated will prolong the shelf life. Storing on the refrigerator, you have to keep it away from other foods that has a very prominent smell or odor, otherwise the chocolate will be ruined because it may absorb the odor of that certain food and may affect the taste and quality.

The Not So Sweet History of Belgian Chocolate

How It All Began

It all started with Leopold II of Belgium in the year 1885 when he colonized Congo. It was a territory eighty-six times bigger than his country. Leopold II was the very first one to commit genocide during the 20th Century.

The chocolate industry first took off during the 1880s, supported by getting hold of the Belgian Congo that has aided an easy way in to Africas cocoa grounds. The truth is that it is very hard to imagine that the Belgian Chocolates history may be that far from being sweet.

There was an estimated 10 million Africans that passed away under the orders of Leopold II. Despite of the war that was happening, Belgians were able to maintain the cocoa importing connections. On the other hand, the Belgian contribution in the chocolate industry is the introduction of their chocolate product which is the praline. It was created and expanded by a Swiss family in Brussels, the Neuhaus family in 1912. The praline was the very first butter cream-filled bite sized chocolate. It was either filled with nuts or cream or coated with milk or milk chocolate or filled also with a very good quality of dark chocolate.

In the year 1912, chocolate started as a gift in Belgium. A Belgian chocolatier created the very first praline, a chocolate that absolutely complied to the gift career it was building. Not later on, a packaging called Ballotin was developed and patented for praline. At that moment the pralines in Ballotin were the most desired gift in every chance somebody has to give someone something as a present.

The Making

Chocolates start with the seeds of a cacao tree. A fruit bearing tree that has large football-shaped like pods, in which the seeds are contained. The cacao tree was first discovered in the United States but now can be grown in many countries near the Equator. These pods are gathered and the seeds are then dried in the sun. After drying, they undergo roasting. When the beans are roasted, they will now be crushed to produce cocoa powder, and then squeezed to get the cocoa butter.

When the powder is ready, it will be mixed with butter. Adding the milk powder and sugar creates chocolate. Each component of the mixture determines the color of the chocolate. Therefore creating different kinds of chocolate like black or the dark chocolate that can be made with up to seventy percent of cocoa in the mixture; milk chocolate containing more milk powder than the others, and of course the white chocolate that does not contain cocoa but cocoa butter only mixed with milk and sugar only.

Trivia

Did you know that if not most, all the pralines during those times were hand made? Presently chocolates are considered as an energy giving food because of its very high content of sugar and calorie. Another fact about chocolate is that it is also considered as one of the many sexual stimulant foods. In fact, aside from being an exceptional energy booster, one of the Aztec emperors drank chocolate to have access to women. It is also known to be use as an anti-depressant. It is known to contain a substance called pheryletylanine that has a positive effect in the event of a nervous depression but not only that, there is something in chocolates that gives anyone a lighter mood every time it is drank.

The Wonderful Tools of Cooking

Far too often people overlook the importance of using the proper tools when cooking fine meals. While there is nothing in the world that can quite compare to cooking with the finest and freshest of ingredients, these things can only be enhanced by making use of the perfect tools for the job at hand.

When it comes to pots and pans and skillets you should keep in mind that conductivity is of extreme importance. You should also select pots and pans that are made of a heavier gauge. This allows your pans to heat evenly avoiding hot spots, which can lead to food that may ‘stick’ to your pan or scorch during the cooking process. This means that simply stopping in at your local mass market retailer and purchasing any old set of pots and pans is probably not the best course of action for the best possible quality in your kitchen.

Kitchen knives are also important ingredients in the kitchens of today. If you plan to prepare many meals in your kitchen, then the quality of your knives is of the utmost importance. Your knives are an investment you shouldn’t have to make too often in your lifetime. For this reason, select a really good set and be prepared to make a sizeable investment in your knives. You will never understand, unless you’ve tried to prepare foods with knives of inferior quality, just how important it is to purchase good quality and well-balanced knives for your kitchen. You should also try the handles in your hand to see how comfortable they feel before purchasing a set of knives. If you do a lot of chopping and cutting during your meal preparation and cooking you will want to make sure that the knives you are using feel comfortable in your hands.

If you are like me and plan on cooking a great deal of meat then you should also invest in a jacquard. This useful tool helps not only when it comes to tenderizing rather rough and tumble cuts of meat but also pierces the surface so that rubs and marinades can penetrate for a more flavorful experience. This is by far one of my favorite kitchen gadgets and it isn’t a sizeable investment for the added value it provides to meals.

A good quality grater is another tool that no kitchen should be complete without. There are many who feel that with all the pre shredded cheese products on the market today this tool is obsolete but nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, pre grated and pre packaged cheese simply doesn’t touch the quality of flavor that freshly grated cheese provides. Second, cheese isn’t the only thing that these graters are useful for grating. Graters are excellent tools for grating citrus fruits, spices, garlic, chocolate, and even onions. If you do a good deal of baking in addition to your cooking you should not overlook the value of having a quality grater in your kitchen.

Of course there are many more cooking tools than I could possibly mention here. Those mentioned above simply happen to be among my personal favorites. There are all kinds of appliances that in my humble opinion no kitchen is truly complete without. In addition to these great appliances there are many tools that are simple matters of preference. Do you peel enough potatoes to warrant a special device for doing so or do you simply opt to purchase an ergonomically designed potato peeler and peel them by hand? There are no one size fits all answers when it comes to kitchen tools and many of us are often limited by serious budget constraints and restrictions. My best advice if this is the situation for you is to purchase the best possible quality you can afford and build from there. Even if it means replacing one pot or knife at a time until you can manage a complete set of superior quality cooking tools you will find it well worth the price you’ve paid in the long run.

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