Karl’s letters to family and the local newspapers documented primarily what he saw: landscapes, historical sites, monuments, churches, animals, crops, etc. In his travels to date there have not been any references to food. Similarly, I rarely comment on anything I’m eating, apart from breakfast, my favourite meal of the day. For me and Karl, food is simply fuel for our adventures. But I’d be remiss while in Belgium not to comment on the food, in particular, Belgian chocolate.

In 1857, Jean Neuhaus opened a pharmacy in Brussels, Belgium. He had the idea that if he covered the pills in a layer of chocolate it would be more palatable to his customers. The Neuhaus apothecary transformed into a confectionary store in 1912 after his grandson invented the praline –– a chocolate shell filled with a creamy centre.

So, in Karl’s defense, chocolate wasn’t as readily available unless he was filling a prescription at the Neuhaus pharmacy.

But today in Belgium, I’m spoiled for choice. There are over 2,000 chocolatiers in Belgium producing over 600,000 tonnes of chocolates annually, generating about 4 billion Euros. According to the local laws, Belgian chocolate must have a minimum of 35% pure cocoa and no artificial fats. Consequently, this means Belgian chocolate tastes good. Although a lot of chocolate is exported, Belgians also eat their fair share of chocolate, averaging about 6 kg (13 lbs) per person per year.

When you walk down the streets of Belgium, it’s hard to choose which chocolate boutique to buy your chocolate from: The Best Belgian Chocolates, Finest Belgian Chocolates, Chocoholic, Chocolaterie, Pur Chocolate, The Chocolate Line, etc.

Perhaps dear reader, the answer is not to choose but to try them all!

In case you’ve missed them, click here for more Karl Chronicles