Daily Archives:January 4th, 2008

Chocolate nuts?

I have a kind aunt who sends us a box of chocolates every Christmas, and they are much appreciated. But as I munched away tonight (with a reckless disregard for my waistline) I was troubled again by a question which has bothered me before. It’s this:

Why are there so many nutty ones in the box?

Now, don’t get me wrong. I like nuts. I like chocolate. I even quite like the combination. But the chocolates with almonds, walnuts, hazelnut praline or whatever are so clearly inferior to those based on fruit, caramel, coffee or liqueurs that I wonder why they always seem to form such a large part of the selection on offer. I would simply put this down to personal preference except that everybody else I’ve ever asked about this feels the same way!

So who is it who decides that so many of the chocolates in the average box should be nutty at the core? Are there hordes of secretive chocolate-nut lovers out there? Those who, on opening a new box, spurn the strawberries, but quiver with anticipation when contemplating the myriad delights that praline has bestowed upon us? Come out of the closet and let us know! You’re among friends here. Or are nutty chocolates much cheaper to manufacture? Perhaps it’s a conspiracy of nut-producers to dispose of nuts which for seem reason don’t make the grade elsewhere in unsweetened form?

Until this mystery is solved, I shall have to continue to be the noble husband, consuming chiefly those nut-based chocolates discarded by my beloved. It’s a tough job. All, however, is not lost, because I’ve discovered that Waitrose sell small tubs of delicious dark-chocolate-covered apricots, which go a long way to helping restore the balance of my carefully-controlled chocolate-based diet.

Tick tock

Intriguing global stastistics.

Thanks to Simon for the link.

© Copyright Quentin Stafford-Fraser