Chocolate, A Bruges story

Company Brief

New Delhi, October 17, 2011

At the end of the Middle Ages, a few Bruges families were looking to new horizons to drive trade. They imported cane sugar from Madeira and when Spanish explorers brought back cocoa in the 16th century, it was quickly mixed with cane sugar. It was already written in stone that Bruges would grow into the chocolate capital. Today, so many centuries later, Bruges is still the chocolate Mecca. A reputation that it fully honours with Choc’in Brugge!

Inspiring Chocolatiers

Bruges is the chocolate city par excellence. The city has more than 50 passionate chocolatiers and acts as a genuine chocolate laboratory. This is a place where established names and fresh up-and-coming talent complement each other. In Bruges you can both sample the traditional chocolate craft and boundary-pushing chocolate creations. The presence of so much creativity raises the quality of Bruges chocolate to new heights. Nowhere in the world will you find better chocolate.

Choco story – A chocolate museum

Choco-Story | The Chocolate Museum aims to bring life to the 4000-year-old history of chocolate in words, pictures and flavours. The museum submerges you in the exciting world of chocolate and takes you on a journey of the senses through time. A feast for the eyes, but also for the nose and the taste buds!

Young or old, passionate chocoholic or simply interested, the Chocolate Museum will stimulate your fascination. Innumerable authentic artefacts will undoubtedly capture the hearts of historians too.

The museum is composed of three parts, telling the story of the origin and evolution of chocolate through a unique collection of almost a thousand objects. Besides the history, the museum also reveals how chocolate is made, with special attention for the variety of raw ingredients and the development of the production process.

Chocolate workshops

During Choc’in Brugge, a large number of prestigious restaurants are opening their doors and many chefs are allowing you to see how you can combine chocolate and gastronomy. Fascinating, budget-friendly workshops in limited circles whereby you are in the front row and constantly learn new things.

The participating restaurants are

• de mangerie

• den dyver

• het zwaantje

• la tâche

• patrick devos

• 't jong gerecht

Things you never knew about chocolate

Did you know …

- in bygone days chocolate was served to ladies of nobility during mass?

- The church banned the consumption of chocolate at one time because it was deemed to be an aphrodisiac?

- the Aztec ruler Moctezuma drank up to 50 cups of spiced cacao every day, especially when he planned to visit his harem?

- Mrs du Barry gave her lovers drinking chocolate, so they could keep up with her?

- Casanova often used chocolate and champagne?

- there are over 800 (!) different constituents in chocolate?

- chocolate does not raise your cholesterol level?

A third of the fat in cacao butter is oleic acid, an unsaturated fat that is generally known as a cholesterol reducer. Cacao butter also contains saturated fat, but research has shown that around 40% of it is stearic acid, which has a neutral effect on cholesterol.

- chocolate contains antioxidants (e.g polyphenols) that help prevent heart disease and cancer?

- diabetics can put chocolate on the menu?

The intake of simple sugars (such as glucose and sacharose) should however be restricted and spread throughout the day to avoid unexpected rises in the blood sugar level.

- chocolate does not cause liver failure and good-quality chocolate is digested within thirty minutes, unless consumed after a heavy meal?

- chocolate does not cause constipation?

On the contrary, it stimulates contraction of the muscles in the intestinal wall and promotes the intestinal transit.

- chocolate is not addictive?

Research has proven that while chocolate does contain substances related to other substances in cannabis, you would have to eat 11 kilos of chocolate every day to get the same effect!

- chocolate does not cause dental caries?

Like so many foodstuffs that contain sugar, chocolate can exacerbate existing tooth decay if your dental hygiene is not up to scratch.

But cacao also contains substances that combat tooth decay, including tannic acid, which contains polyhydroxyphenol, phosphates and fluorine.

Other details of the festival are as follows:

When: November 06 – December 08, 2011

Where: Bruges. Belgium

For more information, log on to: http://chocinbrugge.be/es/

For further information, please contact:

Mileage Communications

Garima Maurya

Mobile: +919899507199

Email: garima@mileage.in