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Being Swiss somehow seems to make me an expert in matters concerning Chocolate. Friends, colleagues, neighbors who are about to travel to Switzerland never venture there without asking me which Chocolate they should try, buy or bring back. I am usually excited to share my opinion, unless in situations where a Belgium, French or other national from a Chocolate savvy country tries to start degrading the Swiss Chocolate. There I have no choice but to tell them straight out that nothing else reaches the quality (ever heard of Belgium or French Quality?) of Helvetic Chocolate. Just between us, and out of reach of Belgian, French or even Swiss ears, I actually quite enjoy all three, but since I cannot stand biased accusations, I have to result to defending my heritage.
So what do I recommend? First of all, no matter what Chocolate you decide to savor, the main thing is that you give it the attention it deserves. Which means, should your mind be in any way littered by taste crippling thoughts about calories or bikinis, do not even try. You are not worthy of eating chocolate. I am often told that people cannot believe I love chocolate, simply because I do not carry it around my midsection. Once and for all, it is not chocolate that makes you fat, it is you not being able to balance its consumption properly. A 100g bar should last you a week, not a day! And if does not, you are not giving it the respect it deserves.
Which brings me to the next important point: anticipation. Half the joy of eating chocolate is the anticipation. Imagining or remembering what it is going to taste like when it melts in your mouth. I have a chocolate moment every day, not a big one, but a well deserved one. The other great thing about anticipation: it doesn't have any calories either!
Last but not at all least: Quality! Buy the good stuff. No matter wherein North America you live, you can buy chocolate other than the low end Nestle, Hershey or any other of those 'we have to add other stuff because our chocolate is not good enough'-brands. The reason why people tend to eat as many of those evil 'cash registry lane pavers' is because they do not manage to satisfy fully and leave a craving for more.
Trust me. If you have a really good piece of chocolate, and give it the attention it deserves, you will be happy with just one piece. I used to gobble down bars almost unnoticed while reading books. That is the perfect recipe for feeling awful later, as soon as you close that feel-good story book.
Now, having said all that, which one to go for? Well, like anything else, chocolate tastes vary. More expensive does not always mean better. My sister for example prefers a Swiss grocery giant's own brand to an exclusive chocolatier's recipe. Dark chocolate has more of the good stuff and leaves you feeling satisfied with less. Too much of a cocoa content though can turn it rather bitter, which not everybody enjoys. Personally I do not go higher than 70% cocoa content, and even that usually would have to have something else in it counter balance the bitterness. As far as white chocolate, well, I do not consider it chocolate. Unless it is in some dessert mousse, I do not touch it. Here are my personal favorites:
Ovomaltine Chocolate: like the Ovaltine drink powder mixed in with milk chocolate; a pleasurable crunch without being too sweet. I cannot get it in Canada, therefore I guess the anticipation level is so high, it's ranked at first place.
Cailler Cremant Chocolate: my grandmother's favourite as well, dark chocolate, also great for dipping in a cup of warm milk. I am a little upset though that Nestle managed to gobble up Cailler and after my last visit back home, I had a feeling they changed the recipe.
Cailler Chocmel: same brand but milk chocolate with almond splinters and honey. First the chocolate melts on your tongue and then there is a wonderful after crunch.
Minor Chocolate: probably mostly due to the fond memories of accompanying my Dad every Sunday on his drive to the local kiosk at the train station to pick up his weekend paper. Needless to say a "Minor Stengel" always made it to the cashier as well. As their English website reads: The much sought after Branche is more than a delicious praline stick, it is a bite of delight.
Now, none of these widely available grocery store chocolates will compare to freshly made chocolate that you get when you enter a smaller boutique that makes their own. The sweet smell of chocolate in your nose will add much to the pleasure and although prices will dramatically increase, it is well worth it for a truffle or two.
Enjoy!
Anne has been writing for many years, entertaining and educating many around the globe. You can check out more of her writings on landlord house insurance or find out what she has been researching on lumbar support pillows
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Swiss music boxes
Swiss boxes are what antique music boxes are usually called. They are like common music boxes that create a sound when operated, but what makes them valuable is their age. Involving yourself in collecting these highly valuable item require knowledge and some effort as well. Collectors find some of these as coveted but it looks like an old music box for a commoner's eye.
An issue for some is the Swiss music box's working condition. There are complaints that out of old age, some may have malfunctions or may be completely destroyed. So a careful appraisal is done to assess the music box's condition because prices of these items are not a joke. Some boxes that are not fixed gets depreciated and sold on auctions for a lower price where some collectors get it as well, solely for display purposes.
In addition, they can be the repositories of your memories as a couple, as a family, as friends and the like. They are the silent witnesses to various special occasions such as birthday celebrations, anniversaries, Halloween, Christmas and many more.
Types of Swiss music boxes include a smaller-disc shaped, and a cylinder one. Most were originally made in Switzerland, thus spawned the name. Nowadays, these items are very rare and most collectors seldom let them go. There are even pocket-sized Swiss music boxes that old men form the 19th century use. Yes, they were once a fashion statement as well.
Among the types of music boxes, disc boxes' manufacturing is cheaper. Because of its cheap manufacturing, more of these were sold by a lower price thus making them more appealing to buyers. This somewhat lowered the Swiss music boxes' popularity among the rich people and made them popular to the commoners instead. Then the Swiss music/jewellery box came, which appealed to some people because of its elegance. They were attracted to the fact that opening their glistening jewelleries is accompanied by a very beautiful music.
Now, with the slowly emerging trend of Swiss music box collecting, an issue arises - how do I repair my own box? This is one issue that troubles many collectors because professional hands or specially trained individuals are needed to repair these very delicate boxes. The parts are commonly fragile because of aging, rare parts, and some mechanisms are derived from old methods. And do you know what this means? You have to shell out a large sum of money for repairs alone.
Here's more on Swiss music boxes.
Richard Dean F. Basa
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