Tag: Chocolate Travel

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Foreign Grocery Friday: The Doña Pepa Cookies of Peru

Where: Lima, Peru
May 10, 2013 at 12:31 PM | by | Comments (0)

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

Set foot in Lima, Peru's International Airport and even before heading through customs you'll spot Doña Pepa on display in the duty-free shops. She's not a woman exactly, but a cartoon mascot lending her name to a sprinkled cookie beloved around the country. Doña Pepa is to Peru as Twix is to the US; it's available at every corner store checkout counter and sold in large "fun size" to tourists at airports.

It even takes a cake form—"Turron de Doña Pepa"—which is a sticky, anise-heavy baked good. For easy eating and toting along on walks, we definitely prefer the cookie.

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Foreign Grocery Friday: Boxes of 'Hagelslag' Sprinkles in Amsterdam

April 12, 2013 at 1:31 PM | by | Comments (0)

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

Hundreds and thousands. Nonpareils. Jimmies. Sprinkles.

Whatever you call them at home, these little, decorative bits of colored sugar go under the name of Hagelslag in the Netherlands. It's not a pretty word, but surprisingly Hagelslag makes for a delicious breakfast sprinkled over buttered toast. For the full how-to on this, check out our earlier explanation of the dish. For now, let's just focus on the sprinkles themselves and the fact that they are an awesome souvenir of a visit to Amsterdam.

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The Little Things: Mini Chocolate Bars on SWISS

January 22, 2013 at 4:32 PM | by | Comments (0)

In the midst of the bustle of travel, it's all too easy to overlook the details. We're talking about special touches others have stressed over just so you can enjoy a unique experience, whether you know it or not. Every so often we'll highlight The Little Things like this, so now you will know.

The Little Thing: SWISS' chocolate bars.

If you've been around the world a few times, you've probably been presented with a complimentary sweet treat on a flight or two. For instance, we know Cathay Pacific occasionally passes out truffles and macarons, LAN loves mini bags of M&Ms, and Lufthansa little gingerbread stars, but there's one airline known for this little touch and it's SWISS.

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OMG. Deep Fried Oreos, Yo.

December 10, 2012 at 4:36 PM | by | Comments (0)

OH MAH GAWD you guys. So we like food trucks, that much is plain, but we love dessert food trucks even more. Something about decadence on the go seems like the answer to all of life's problems. After spending last week in Miami, we can pinpoint that even further to the awesomeness that are deep-fried Oreos.

The yummy is made by taking regular ol' Oreos, dunking them in batter and popping in a deep fryer. Dust with powdered sugar and serve. Occasionally the food truck (called 80s Sensation) is parked in Wynwood at NW 2nd Ave and NW 23rd Street and they specialize in such junk food indulgences. To be fair, we didn't know they were '80s-themed or what was going on; we just saw the sign "deep-fried Oreos" from across the parking lot and made a bee-line for it.

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A Kinder Egg by Any Other (International) Name Would Taste Just as Sweet

October 11, 2012 at 2:44 PM | by | Comments (0)

It may be too soon to talk about holiday presents, but it's always the right time to discuss chocolate. Specifically we focus on the perennial favorite Kinder Eggs, which, though banned in the United States as a choking hazard, are embraced in other parts of the world.

Kinder Eggs are produced by the Italian company Ferrero, also the guys behind those faux-fancy Ferrero Rocher chocolates. The original product name then isn't "Kinder Egg," but the Italian "Kinder Sorpresa," meaning "Kinder Surprise." Just so you know exactly what to ask for on your next trip abroad, we've gathered a few other international names for the beloved treat:

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The Newbie Traveler in Bruges: 'Train'quility and Milk Chocolate

Where: Bruges, Belgium
August 16, 2012 at 11:45 AM | by | Comments (0)


My room at the Hotel De Tuilerieën, where "In Bruges" was filmed

What would your life be like if you hadn't yet traveled to Europe? If you'd spent years reading travel novels and fantasizing over guidebooks, but hadn't made the big leap? This is the case for Andy Miles, who in his late twenties just embarked on a trip to hit most of the cities for the first time. He's walking us through the emotions and observations of a true Newbie Traveler.

Have you ever wanted to wander around inside of a postcard? Go to Bruges. It's the most beautiful, pristine and picture-perfect city I have ever had the pleasure of exploring.

Following my time in Amsterdam, I arrived at Bruges' main train station in mid-afternoon, just as the surprisingly hot Belgian sun was at its peak. Train stations give me a sense of tranquility (or should I say "train-quility") since I've always found traveling by train to be an incredibly relaxing experience.

The Bruges station, aptly named "Bruges railway station," isn't a remarkable building; it actually looks like the high school from every bad teen movie more than anything else. See what I mean? However, the structure gets the job done and has stood here since 1939, though the station itself has been welcoming trains since 1838.

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Foreign Grocery Friday: The Schaumküsse of Germany

June 8, 2012 at 5:41 PM | by | Comments (0)

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

Hope you like marshmallows. And chocolate. And stuffing giant, sweet treats into your mouth. You see, there's these things called "Schaumküsse" and they're just as much a part of a German childhood as, say, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were to yours (assuming you're American and born in the last several decades). These Schaumküsse are giant marshmallows on a waffle cookie base, but completely entombed by a hard chocolate shell. Biting into them means breaking the barrier to reach the fluff inside—the "foam kiss."

Wait wait wait—here's the best part. The slogan of the popular Dickmann's brand is "Man, they are Dickmann." Awesome.

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Foreign Grocery Friday: The Cheese Tim Tams of Indonesia

Where: Bali, Indonesia
May 4, 2012 at 1:50 PM | by | Comments (0)

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

You may remember when we told you about Tim Tams, the favorite Australian cookie. Sweet layers of chocolate cookie, with a creamy chocolate center all covered in what else but chocolate. Along with most Australians and visitors, Tim Tams are something of an addiction for us. That's why we were not only excited to find a new flavor, but super intrigued by the unique taste. Cheese!?

We always had the idea that Tim Tams were for an after-dinner treat or something a bit more sinful when we are feeling naughty. While shopping at a grocery store in Seminyak, Bali, this unique flavor offering threw us off and we just had to get them for a little nibble.

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Doing the Willy Wonka Thing at Burlington's Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory

Where: 750 Pine Street [map], Burlington, VT, United States
April 17, 2012 at 2:00 PM | by | Comments (0)

Just outside the downtown center of Burlington, Vermont—as in you need to ride your bike or drive your car—sits a factory known to chocolate lovers far and wide. Of course we’d consider ourselves fans of these sort of sweet treats, so it was a natural fit for us to make a little bit of a pilgrimage to the home of Lake Champlain Chocolates.

The factory and visitor’s center is located along right along Pine Street in a somewhat bustling industrial looking area of Burlington. You can definitely trust your GPS to find it, but be on the lookout for the sign and the parking lot as it’s easy to miss. Once inside the scent of some of the world’s best chocolate—at least in our opinion—hits you as soon as you enter the door. At that point you can pretty much hand over your credit card, as you're definitely going to bring something home with you.

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Foreign Grocery Friday: The Hyper Chocolate Bar of Hungary

February 10, 2012 at 4:15 PM | by | Comments (0)

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

From just two days in Budapest the other week, it seems like we could fill six months worth of Foreign Grocery Friday features. Offensive, weird, funny-sounding...who knew snacks and candy could be so odd?

The best of the bunch, though, was the Hyper chocolate bar—or, as the packet has it: "The wafer for big people."

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Sugar High, Up High: Five Exceptional Airport Candy Shops

February 9, 2012 at 9:30 AM | by | Comments (0)

If you’re flying next week, beware the red and pink cheap chocolates of the Hudson News airport outlets. While sending something in advance of Valentine’s Day is probably the best idea, you can always grab something nice for him or her on your way home from the airport, and no we're not talking about flowers from an arrivals hall vending machine. Here’s five airport candy shops that should satisfy any sweetie’s sweet tooth:

Sugar Pop - Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

Even if you don’t need something for the upcoming Hallmark holiday, it’s worth it to stop in at Sugar Pop within the mall section of Terminal 1-Lindbergh. The place is loaded with different colors and sugary options, and they even have some teddy bears and other cuddly critters to go along with all those calories. This isn’t exactly the place for gourmet confections, but if you’re looking for oversized lollipops or personalized treats, it'll more than do.

Candy Empire – Singapore-Changi Airport

Sitting within the basement level of Terminal 3 is the spot you need to visit for chocolates, cookies, and everything in between. They promise stuff from Australia, Europe, and the United States, so if you can’t find something that fits your needs, you don’t know what you need. A few pieces of foreign candy from Candy Empire should hopefully smooth over any sort of trouble caused by not being home on Valentine's Day.

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Inside Roberto Cavalli's Florentine Fashion Cafe

Where: 10R Via Della Spada, Florence, Italy
November 14, 2011 at 4:34 PM | by | Comments (0)


It was as we were walking through Florence the other day that we noticed something strange. In the middle of the designer shop area, there was a café. What’s more, it was a café bearing the name Roberto Cavalli. So we went in to investigate.

Turns out we’d found Caffe Giocosa, which Cavalli bought 10 years ago. It’s a normal Italian bar, it just happens to be particularly swish with hot waiters (although the clientele weren’t overly modelly) and has lots of animalprint hanging around, from its chair covers to its wrapping paper to its chocolates.

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