Two days ago it snowed again. Nearly April but no sign of spring. Winter is a fairly foreign concept to me and I am learning how to deal by observing. Denial seems to be the path of preference for runners that continue to go about their business while wearing shorts and running on the snow. Adapting by replacing your daily run with a cross-country trip through your local park is another option. One that I would actually be keen on if I had skis. But there is a third, albeit unhealthy, way to chase away the winter blues – the BIG 5.

What are Belgium’s BIG 5? In order of accessibility they are:

1. Beer
2. Chocolate
3. Fries
4. Waffles
5. Mussels

Given that my favorite indulgence has always been chocolate, and my first job was at Ghirardelli’s, I know a bit about the substance but never pass up the opportunity to learn more. A visit to an artisan is a pleasant way to ignore the weather, too.

Manneken Pis chocolates at Chocolaterie Duval in Brussels

Xocolātl was considered by the Mayas and Aztecs to be a gift from the gods. They would grind cocoa beans into a powder and mix it with water to make a bitter, spicy elixir. It was also used as currency in bartering. While Columbus brought some beans back with him to the Old World, Spanish nobility was exclusively introduced to the drink by Cortés in 1528. Finally, in 1643 Princess Maria Theresa offered chocolate as an engagement present to Louis XIV of France and from there it rapidly spread to the rest of Europe. It wasn’t until the 1800s, however, that chocolate became available in solid form.

While the Swiss excel at silky milk chocolate, Belgians specialize in rich pralines, invented in 1912 by Neuhaus. Unlike the typical nut and caramel pralines we think of, Belgian pralines are actually chocolate bonbons consisting of an outer hard shell and various fillings. My mood, but sadly also my hips, can personally attest to the deliciousness that is the BIG 5. On that note, Happy Easter and enjoy your chocolate eggs!