Hot chocolate is a delicious drink that is a cocktail of cocoa powder or chocolate, sugar, and milk. This delicious beverage can be traced back to the Mayan and Aztec civilizations in which they consumed their chocolate drinks made from roasted cocoa seeds mixed with spices like chili and achiote or annatto.

The chocolate beverage was not only enjoyed but was also revered. Unfortunately, not everyone had the honor to drink chocolates during those times, only the members of the ‘upperclass’ could drink it.

Chocolate was thought to be helpful in relieving exhaustion and was associated with fertility. The cocoa beans were also used by these old civilizations as currencies. 

But the chocolate mixture during the old times is not as delicious as today’s.

When European settlers came to the south Americas, they found the drink a bit repulsive. Even when Christopher Columbus had returned to Europe and brought with him cocoa beans from his travels to the New World; the chocolate was ignored.

It was only the time when a certain Hernan Cortez visited Mexico in the year 1517 when chocolate began to make its way to the world. Cortez had met the Aztec Emperor, Moctezuma, and was introduced to some of the emperor’s traditions and activities. One of which is his favorite beverage, the chocolate.

The emperor served Cortez the chocolate drink in a goblet made of gold. The chocolate of the emperor was then a mixture of powdered cocoa beans, vanilla, spices, and honey. 

The “ritual” impressed Cortez so much that he brought a lot of cocoa beans back to his native Spain. He also brought with him equipments for making chocolate beverages.

The Spaniards kept the chocolate a secret for a long time. It was only after one hundred years that the beverage became very popular in Europe.

When chocolates found its way to Belgium, it was like a match made in heaven! Belgians are known for their exquisite cuisine that is at par with the French.

The Belgians have their own way of making chocolates. Through the years, they have honed their skills and perfected the manufacturing of chocolates of the best quality. In this perfection of this delicacy, it is easy to assume that chocolates are to Belgians as electronics gadgets are to Japan.

There are a number of varieties of Belgian hot chocolates to choose from and all seem to send the drinkers to paradise. From the moment the lips touch the cup and smell the aroma of the beverage, you will already feel the essence of the beverage being absorbed in your body. And the perfect aftertaste that is like no other hot chocolate you can find anywhere else in the world.

Technorati Tags: belgian chocolates, chocolate, history of chocolate, hot chocolate

A Great Gift Idea for Your Loved Ones!  

If you are having any trouble thinking of a gift idea for your wife’s birthday, on mother’s day or Valentine’s Day, you should consider getting one that everyone will love. One kind of a great gift idea is chocolates.  You can’t ignore the fact that everyone loves to eat chocolates.

Ever since chocolate was discovered in the Americas, people have cherish and love them.  Even considering them as food of the gods.   Chocolates, in some form, have been around for centuries and  today are still very popular candies that everyone loves and loves to receive.

Diet fanatics use to consider chocolates as a dieting nightmare because they could never stop eating them when they were on a diet.  Often saying to themselves that they will eat only one piece but before they know it they have consumed a whole box.  Not a worry today as there are sugar free chocolates to be had.

Delicious chocolate candies can be addicting.   However, the regular chocolates you see in your regular store are nothing compared to eating one of the world’s finest chocolates called Belgian chocolates.

Belgium has been producing the same chocolate (with a much more refined process today)  that had been discovered by the Spanish in the Americas.  The original chocolate, a slightly bitter drink,  is still available and this refreshing slightly bitter (versus sugary sweet of today’s cheap chocolate candies) can still be tasted through Belgian chocolates.   Belgian chocolate candies are one of the most popular in the world and it is also one of the finest chocolates available.

Belgian Chocolates offers fine tasting chocolate that many people have claimed to be something to be treasured and one that they cannot get enough of.  

Unlike the cheap brands of chocolates which you can easily get sick of, Belgian chocolate candies offers a one-of-a-kind taste that will make you crave for more.  Chocolate lovers from all over the world have testified that Belgian chocolates are indeed the finest chocolate in the world.

If you let it melt in your mouth and savor the taste of Belgian chocolates, you can be sure that you will end up wanting more.  You may end up like this chocolate lover  when she was given a Belgian chocolate as a gift.  She planned on consuming it for five days, one for each day.  However, when she ate the first one for an  after dinner desert, she just couldn’t get enough of the Belgian chocolate.    The whole box of five Belgian chocolates were consumed in less than thirty minutes, savoring each chocolate as it melted in her mouth.

Technorati Tags: belgian chocolates, chocolate, fine chocolate, valentine's day chocolate

Leonidas Kesdekidis, nothing more than an ordinary Greek citizen, was the founder of Leonidas Belgian Chocolates. His company  makes wonderful delights like pralines, truffles and other heavenly chocolate assortments.

Mr. Kesdekidis arrived at Brussels in the year 1910 and short while later married a local and decide to settle there. He made a large array of pralines in his place situated close to Rempart de Moines.

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 creator’s dream to let the rest of the world know of their chocolate concoctions. His strategy of combining world-class quality and the best price is still unbeatable today.

Leonidas’ products are far different from the chocolates of other brands.  Leonidas  concern for the freshness of its chocolates makes it unique and unbeatable.   While most other brands’ practiced the  strategy to make their products appear fresh by repackaging the chocolate in a different box daily to make them look fresh.  Yes, the package is fresh but the content is still the same…yesterday’s chocolate. Whereas at Leonidas, the chocolates will only be boxed on the day that the customer’s order is received.

Other chocolate makers quality of freshness may be risked for the necessity of longevity.   They do this so that the chocolate can be pre-packed with the intention for it to be on a shelf in department stores or supermarkets.

Because of Leonidas’s very high standards they were able to obtain an ISO 9001 certificate for the produce’s quality.   Which, by the way, is very much over the needed requirement for the production of chocolates.

Leonidas delivers only where there are Leonidas outlets.  Places like Hollywood, the United Kingdom and Belgium.  They do not export for the reason that they do not want to risk the freshness of the chocolate that goes out of their stores.

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 in gift or presentation boxes for the box alone that Leonidas use will suffice for they are already gift wrapped and they also offer different sorts of gift wrapping, luxury and or seasonal choices.

These chocolates need to be consumed within 21 days after it is purchased.   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.

When storing in the refrigerator, you have to keep it away from other foods that have a very prominent smell or odor, otherwise the chocolate will be ruined because it will absorb the odor and it will affect the taste and quality.

Technorati Tags: belgian chocolates, chocolate, fine chocolate, gourmet chocolate, luxury chocolate

Since the discovery of chocolates, people have been crazy about it.  Today, people crave for great tasting and fine chocolates from different parts of the world. You have to admit almost everyone loves chocolates a little  all the way to the addicted and obsessed .   Especially those receiving chocolates as a gift.

Besides, who can resist a great tasting chocolate? From kids to the elders, chocolates are one of the most popular candies in the world. There are many countries that produce a particluar kind of chocolate. These countries offer great tasting fine chocolate. However, 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 love. People purchase Belgian chocolates in duty free terminals in international airports as gifts. Some travel all the way to Belgium just to get a fresh-made-today taste of the different Belgian chocolates that the country has to offer.

If you are a person who loves chocolates and you haven’t tasted Belgian chocolates yet, then do so immediately. Chocolate lovers the world over say that you can never get enough of Belgian chocolates. And you definitely cannot not try and eat just one, even if you are on a diet.

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

It has been said that you are missing a part of your life if you haven’t tasted Belgian chocolate biscuits. 

 Listed below are a variety of high quality Belgian chocolate biscuits to get you started:

• Grand Biscuit Selection
• Diavola Chocolate Biscuits
• Amouretto Chocolate Biscuits
• Amandaggio Almond Biscuits
• Allegro Chocolate Biscuits

These are just some of the Belgian chocolate biscuits to consider tasting. They are made from high quality biscuits and high quality Belgian chocolates.

 You will see that Belgian chocolates are different from other kinds of chocolates in that they  are creamy and offer a not-so-sweet taste.  One of the reasons why Belgian chocolates have became world famous.

Technorati Tags: belgian chocolate biscuits, belgian chocolates, chocolate biscuits, fine chocolate, milk chocolate