Walking away from Temptation

I share my destiny with something that has been present in my life and has been a part of my earliest memories. It has found its way into my life and tangled into my daily routine.

I first found out that I am susceptible to migraines when I was in 9^th Standard. Back then I was unaware of what a pain it would be in my life. Once I hit puberty, migraines became an annual thing. By the time I was in college, I had formed one of the worst habits many youngsters have today – My love for black coffee without milk or sugar.

Little did I know then that this habit would further trigger my migraines. In 2006, when my doctor found out about my coffee habit she gave me an ultimatum. She asked me to pick one of the two – Coffee Vs. Chocolates. I decided to keep coffee in my life and kicked chocolates to the curb.*

01.05.2018 will mark my four year separation from coffee. Chocolate, knowing that I hadn’t even glanced at my mother’s homemade filter kaapi in the past three years decided to slowly but steadily creep back into my life.

My friends and family who know the extreme extent of my migraine have since then introduced me to dark chocolates and a variety of white chocolates that aren’t too sweet. With that, my subtle but persistent romantic saga with chocolates was rekindled.

Here are my top 5 palate teasers from 2017

At number 5 is Godiva: The Godiva Napolitains come in bite size and are perfect for people who are constantly trying to wean off of chocolates. These little chocolates come in four flavours - Milk, Dark, Milk Hazelnut and Milk Pistachio. 

The thing I liked best about them was the size they come in. It’s a sliver of chocolate and just about enough chocolate for the likes of me who can’t handle too much. It has a catch though; the apparently Dark chocolate isn’t really dark as there is no initial bitterness or an after taste of bitterness. It is sweet all the way. These Belgian bites can be purchased anywhere in The U.S and most parts of Europe.

At number 4 are the Hershey’s cookies and cream kisses: As a rule I am not particularly fond of the regular kisses because they are just little blobs of chocolates and there isn’t much else to them. They are chocolates that I wilfully avoid knowing fully well that even if they make it all the way to my refrigerator I will most certainly be distributing them among my friends. Therefore I was pleasantly surprised when I had cookies and cream. It basically is a combo of cookie crumbs wrapped in white chocolate and even after the white chocolate melts in your mouth the cookie crumbs magically manage to retain their crunch. If you are the kind that likes to bite into your chocolate right away, you’ll notice the above mentioned trait too.

This personally for me was a win-win. I’d definitely recommend you give it a go if you like white chocolate. I recently found out that these are also available on Amazon Pantry and they ship all over the world.

At number 3 are Ghirardelli: I love Ghirardelli squares which are a domestic of San Francisco and have a specific liking for their caramel chocolates, raspberry and sea salt flavoured chocolates and of course mint. Imagine a thin sliver of chocolate and on top of it either a fruity flavour or mint and topped again with a thin slice of chocolate.

That’s what a basic square comprises of and it tastes like heaven. The bitterness of chocolate with the right amount of sweetness, tanginess or minty freshness is extremely refreshing and perfect as post lunch/dinner treat.

At number 2 is Anthon Berg: I like my liquor and my chocolate but I love it even more when the liquor is in a tiny chocolate bottle. Do NOT keep these in the freezer. Refrigeration is okay because that way when you bite into the chocolate the liquid pours into your mouth. My favourite pick is Remy Martin. 

If you are the kind who doesn’t particularly enjoy drinking but you still like alcohol but not too much alcohol and you like chocolates then these little bottles are right for you. My brother got me these beauties from L.A as a gift for Raksha Bandhan J

At number 1 are KitKats: These are limited edition KitKat. Pictured above are some real chocolate ninjas. These limited edition KitKats will surprise you with every bite. Rich in flavour just like the country it comes from. If you want a regional bite from Japan these are it!

KitKat Tokyo Rum Raisin, KitKat Yokohama Cheese Cake, KitKat Shinshu Apple and Matcha GreenTea Mainichi No Zeitaku Double Berry and Almond. 

Having had my first taste of green tea way back in 1999, I can still recall the bitter after taste that lingers for a while in your mouth. The teenager me would have been repulsed by the very idea of green tea KitKat BUT me in my 30’s have come to enjoy this unique flavour. 

Matcha has come to top my list of KitKat flavours. It’s neither too strong nor is it too mild. For those concerned about eating really sweet things – this little bar is just the right amount of sweet and does not compromise on taste at all.

That is a roundup of a MILDLY yet satisfying palate adventure of 2017. And just like that chocolates made their way back into my home, refrigerator and heart.

P.S: Chocolates are a common trigger for many who suffer from migraines. Barring the above mentioned Godiva and Anthon berg all other chocolates are either white or chocolates sans cocoa which makes it reasonably safer to consume in small amounts.