Food for Thought

We just go the sweetest gift: a philosopher friend visiting from Austria brought us lovely little chocolate hazelnut nougats by Ildefonso. The teensy bite-size chocolates are individually wrapped in cellophane and gold paper and nestled together in a small box. The chocolates were created in 1880, when a Manner chocolatier visited the Ildefonso in Toledo, Spain, and composed these in homage to the beautiful cathedral.

Each chocolate is wrapped with a quote, like this one:

Wer stark ist kann es sich erlauben leise zu sprechen.

("Speak softly and carry a big stick.")

- Theodore Roosevelt

Seven layers of chocolate and hazelnut nougat, all wrapped up in wisdom.

I couldn't find any US retailers who sell the chocolates (if you find one, please comment away!), but 130 pieces can be purchased for 46 Euro online at Austrianshop, a terrific source for many hard-to-find Austrian goodies, like the Alpine herbal soft drink Almdudler (second only to Coca-Cola as Austria's most-consumed beverage), Mozartkugeln (a wide variety of candies dedicated to Austria's master composer) and authentic Austrian gingerbread, sausages, and beer.