Sabena Belgian World

7
Apr

Belgian World

Belgian World

Belgian Chocolates are the Best

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.

About the Author

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.

What is the most obsecure unknown comic book you have ever read?

When I was a kid I read some italian and belgian comic books. Good titles like the paranormal mistery title Gordon Link or Great Blek. What is yours - it can be from the U.S. or around the world.

Marvel comics published a comic book titled Capt. Mar-Vell. This is well known, but when I was a kid, I remember reading a Capt. Mar-Vell title where the "new" Capt. Mar-vell had a very strange power. He was able to detach his body parts, such as his hands and his feet, use them while detached, and then re-attach them to his body. This only lasted a few issues, but it mesmerized me, and not many people know about this or remember it. I have read some disturbing small press comic books, all of whose titles escape me. They dealt with gross subjects and were immature, and I think maybe 10 people might have bought and read them. Small press and Independent comics are actually a good source for different comics to read, and not all are immature. If you want something a bit obscure, here are some titles to consider : Eightball, Flaming Carrot, American Splendor.

SABENA: Savoir faire in the air pt2