Choco Porn: Sweets from Scandinavia

** I went on a five day vacation to Denmark and Sweden in mid-April 2014.  This post is part of my Scandinavian posts.  Please note: I pay for all my expenses when I go on trips so I write my opinions freely, solely based on my own experience.**


I am addicted to chocolates (and other foodstuff) in a manner that is not too common.  I don´t really like sweets much.  I prefer salty, calorie-laden chips over candies and chocolates,  but I still have this uncontrollable urge to buy (hoard) chocolates and sweets from the places I visit.  I suppose, it has to do with the fact that although I am not a sweets lover, my family is.  And then there are my clients who do enjoy new items to try out.  It also helps that  for the most  part, chocolates and sweets have  long shelf life.


I even enjoy researching chocolates brands.  Take my recent trip to Denmark and Sweden.  Weeks prior to my trip  I looked out for brands to buy.  I do not buy those high-end bean-to-bar gourmet chocolates but choose homegrown chocolate brands that have become local favorites.  Much like how Nips, Curly Tops, Serg´s and Fibisco Mallows are the reliable chocolate fix and the sentimental favorites of generations in my country, the Philippines.

The only exception to my chocolate buying rule is when I go to Lyon, France where I hoard on Bernachon, the expensive but totally worth it chocolate that, to my biased mind, is the best chocolate in the world.


I brought back a few kilos of Scandinavian chocolates from my trip.  Most are for TLCShop and some are for the family.

FROM SWEDEN:  MARABOU CHOCOLATES

Marabou has so many variants!  Though Marabou is available in Denmark and I suppose the rest of the Scandinavian countries,  I bought my stash in Malmo, Sweden because the prices of goods there are cheaper than in Denmark.

FROM NORWAY: FREIA CHOCOLATES

 Months before my trip to Scandinavia,  a client asked  if I can source Freia Kirklover Chocolates for her.  But these are not really available in Madrid.  And even as I checked shops in both Denmark and Sweden for these goodies, I couldn't find them so imagine my glee when I saw them at one of the dutyfree shops in Copenhagen as I was waiting to board my plane back to Madrid!   These are the mosty expensive chocolates in my stash.  The 250 grams king size bars cost 5€ each.


FROM DENMARK: ANTHON BERG AND TOM´S

Anthon Berg is famous for its liquor chocolates.  The brand, as in most items in Denmark,  is surprisingly expensive.  But it would feel wrong not to buy some Danish chocs, so I bought a bag of chocolates spiked with champagne, madeira  and muscat.

Tom´s Guld Bars in Licorice  and Hazelnut.  Tom´s and Anthon Berg are owned by Denmark´s largest confectionery company. 

Of the chocolates I bought,  I only set aside the Daim Bars and the Maribou Nougat Bars.  The rest will be sent to the Philippines.  The Daim bars are as delicious as I remembered them. The slightly burnt, crisp toffee  covered by a thin layer of chocolate.  The Maribou Nougat bar has a almond nougat center.  The chocolate is smooth, creamy is not too sweet so it isn´t really hard to finish a 100 gram bar in one sitting ( Guilty!).

Small Luxuries: Little Splurges for a Happier Me

"It's a basic human trait to have indulgences in one's life, things that reinforce your identity and keep you moving forward."

Times are tough. We have to be careful with our spending and allot enough money for our savings. Something we can turn to when financial shit happens. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Being on my own and living alone, I do try to save. I save up for the rainy days, for my travels, so I can have funds to grow my little business and for some other plans yet to be disclosed. However, there are days when I need a pick-me-upper. Once in a while, I do indulge in little splurges that are not part of my daily budget (i.e. what in ordinary days would be too expensive for me to buy) just because I want to feel pampered, and well, remember that I am worth it.

The quote above sums up why we go about having small indulgences, don’t you think? We want to be reminded that we deserve the small, good things in life ☺

FINE CHOCOLATES

Green & Black’s Organic White and 70% Dark Chocolate, Lindt Excellence Blueberry Intense and Orange Intense Dark Chocolate Bars, Valhrona Crus Chocolate Tasting Bars

While I am a sucker for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Almond Snickers and Ghana Bars, when I can I keep a stash of premium chocs to buoy me over extra-stressful days. Gourmet Chocolates + a good movie at home = a perfect lazy afternoon.


FRAGRANCES

My recent buy: Laura Mercier Eau Gourmande Fresh Fig
Spell Dutyfree and perfumes are what comes to mind immediately. Ever the bargain hunter, I scour the Dutyfree Shops on my trips abroad for nice deals on fragrances. I recently bought this yummy, sweet scent for $45 dollars, down from $65 . It is sweet, vanilla-y but not off-putting as most candy flavored scents are.


BOOKS ON COOKING AND DESIGN

What is Branding?Essential Design Handbook, The Culinary Institute of America’s Baking & Pastry

Because these books fuel my interest in cooking and product design, they are balms to the aspiring kitchen goddess in me.


FINE FOOD FINDS

Chevre Cheese, Hummus, Horseradish Dip, Pesto, Delimondo Corned Beef
Yummy finds I picked from here and there.


BEAUTY SPLURGES
It could be a new powder, a new skincare item or something as simple and pretty as this:

What about you? What are your small indulgences? :-)

The Oz Files #1: Sweet Buys!

I'm back from my blissful vacation! Refreshed and looking forward to work ( so I could save up for another vacation!)

I was in Australia for a week, spending half the time in Melbourne and the rest at my cousin's place at the countryside in Victoria. It was a nice thing really, I was on my own and totally independent while in Melbourne, and was spoiled rotten and super taken care of by my Ate while I was staying in Victoria.

I got the best of both worlds! Melbourne is, well, wonderful. It is, to my mind, very much like London (where I lived for a bit), only safer. Which is to say that I loved it. Where I live, I stick out like a sore thumb in a sea of Koreans. Here, I walked in a sea of different races -- Asians, Whites, Blacks speaking different dialects. It was sooo like London except here I could roam the streets of Melbourne until 10 PM on my own without fear, whereas in London, I would have never attempted it on my own at such late hours.

There are a lot of Oz-related entries coming up soon!! Went wine-tasting, cheese-tasting, visited artisanal bakeshops,ate my fill of pies, went gaga over a market, met up with a college friend plus some other more personal entries. I will make my way through all these soon. But I am a bit lazy today haha, so instead, I'll subject you to a bit of sugar voyeurism. Here are some of the sweets I brought home with me: Enjoy!


Mars Choco Pods in Cherry Bites and Mars fillings. I liked the Cherry Pods!

Cadbury Snack Packs in Flake ( flakey choco bars), Crunchie (honeycomb nubs encased in choc), Freddo (chocolate frog with mint center), and Twirl (Chocolate Swirly bar)

The old staples: Cadbury Dairy Milk bars, Nestle Violet Crumble

Cadbury Chocolate Big Blocks: Crunchie (with Honeycombe bits), Old Jamaica Rum & Raisins (Dark Chocolate with Raisin and Almonds and Rum),Bar of Plenty Berry Fruit and Vanilla Shortcake, Dairy Milk Macadamia, Bubbly White (milk choc with aerated white chocolates), Rocky Road, Bar of Plenty (Roast Hazelnut and Honey Roast Cashews), Dairy Milk Top Deck, Black Forest

Handmade, artisanal chocs from Beechworth Sweet Co. : Pineapple Lumps, Chocolate Honeycomb Slabs, Rum and Raisin Fudge, Chocolate Covered Jelly Babies

My gluten-free chocolate snacks (for my own indulgence! Most of the chocs I bought are for my sugar-lovin' family): Leda Chocalence choco covered cookies, D'Lush Mint Choc Cookies, D'Lush Double Choc Cookies, Carman's Gluten-free Muesli Bars

Green and Black's Organic Chocolate Bars in Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate. This was my favorite choc brand in UK back when I worked there so I just had to buy a couple of bars for rekindle my sweet love affair with this brand.

Cadbury Cherry Ripe: next to Freddo, this is my favorite Cadbury chocolate. it's milk chocolate with a cherry and coconut flavored centre.

Starburst Candies for the kids: Smoothie, Bananas & Cream flavours

A whole lot of TimTams: Dark, Double Coat, White, Dark Rum & Raisin, Original

Arnott's biscuits: Kingston choco-centered, Mint Slice, Choco-topped Butternut Snaps

Fine European Chocs: Godiva 31% Milk Chocolate Bar, Lindt Mint Intense, Lindt Blueberry Intense, Lindt Orange, Valrhona Chocolate Crus Tasting Sets

The most expensive chocolate box in the batch: Valrhona Degustation Grands Crus Chocolate Collection for my foodie brother.

Life is sweet!

A BAGFUL OF CHOCS

Lucky I dropped by the food section of AK Plaza today! I do not normally buy stuffs here because, well, AK PLAZA being really chi-chi has prices that are steeper than the big Korean supermarts. But I was looking for a particular kind of Campbells Soup (Chunky Chicken and Veggies) and I have seen some at this shop a few weeks ago so off I went.

Well, what do you know, there was a Chocolate Sale in the food section of the mall!
On sale were mostly European and US brands -- Guylian, Cote D’or, Lindt, Mozart, Hawaian Host and a few Korean chocs. Most chocs were at 30-50% off! Of course the catch was that the products are expiring in October 2011. But heck, I don't think my choco haul will last me till August haha, so I bought a few of the chocs I really loved. **It was an exercise in restraint, if I may say so**

I got myself these for my stocks:

(Prices are as converted from won to Pesos. These are ballpark figures not the exact converted prices.)

GoLightly Gluten Free and Sugar Free Butterscotch Candy – On Sale for PHP 100.00 per bag.

Guylian Belgian Extra Dark SeaShells ( Pack of 6 Personal Boxes) – On Sale for PHP 400.00
Each personal box has 6 extra dark chocolate seashells

Hawaiian Host Macnut Crunch – On Sale for PHP 250.00
18 pieces of chocolate covered Macadamias and crisped rice.

And my most favorite purchase of the day, something you don’t normally see in Seoul:

Lindt LINDOR Stracciatella 200g Box – On Sale for PHP 300.00
This is Lindt’s take on Cookies and Cream. White Chocolate Shell covering white chocolate and rick cocoa pieces. There were also Lindt Lindor Dark and Milk, but I decided to buy this because it’s not always an easy variant to get here or even in Dutyfree shops.