Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate

When I was five years old, I had my first real chocolate taste when my dad went to Europe on a business trip. He sent me a Big Ben postcard from London which he wrote, "Be good. Read your story books. Papa is coming home with lots of chocolates." And came home he did, with bags and bags of chocolates - giant Smarties tubes, milk chocolate bars, Belgian gourmet chocolates and forbidden boxes of miniature chocolate liquor bottles.

For weeks after dad's return, my sister, brother and I had endless access to the chocolate stash in the fridge. One evening, after dinner, I thought I'd very much like to try one of those miniature chocolate liquor bottles which my mum vehemently forebade us to touch. There wasn't anyone in the kitchen. Quickly, I grabbed one chocolate liquor bottle and unwrapped the foil and popped it in my mouth.

At first, I tasted normal chocolatey stuff and wondered what was the fuss over this piece of chocolate. Then, the thin chocolate crunched on my tongue and a cool liquid flowed and tingled my tastebuds. It was too strange a taste for a five year old and I remember wanting to spit it out but instead, I kept swirling my tongue and the chocolate bits melted with the cool bitter liquor.

Soon, I was on a culinary mission of sneaking one chocolate liquor bottle whenever noone's in the kitchen and secretly discovering different flavours - cognac, whisky, midori, kahlua. Some tasted really foul, but I remember being fascinated with the sensation of cool bitter liquid that gushed on my tongue when the chocolate broke and that enhanced bittersweet flavour of chocolate & liquor.

And that started my fascination with chocolate. The real stuff. Dark, bittersweet decadent chocolate that tasted absolutely divine. Whenever I fly overseas, I'd hunt for those decadent chocolate liquor bottles at duty-free shops. I'd buy a box or two and look forward to savouring one mini bottle after dinner at home.

Beside those chocolate liquor bottles, I also like Kit Kat, Toblerone, Nestle's Old Jamaica, Cadbury's Raisin & Nut Milk Chocolate. Ferrero Rocher and After Eight mints. Two other chocolate which I often dream of tasting because I can't get them in Malaysia- Cherry Ripe from Australia and Nestle Yorkie Raisin & Biscuit from UK.

Sometimes, I add some Valhorna chocolate pieces to my Milo drink to give it an extra rich chocolatey taste. I also like to add a few Toblerone triangles to my morning oats for that special chocolatey almond honey flavour.

Life is so much more interesting with chocolate. I just can't imagine living a single day without them. :P