Repeating Islands

Yes, yet another article about chocolate! In “How do you like your kiss? Caribbean, French or Italian?” Karen Flores reports on a new confection originating in the Phillipines—chocolate kisses created by Sinfully, a patisserie run by the Makati Shangri-La in Manila. The Caribbean kiss is made of white chocolate filled with star anise . . .  [Hmm, we can’t help but wonder about this choice.]

Many people consider chocolate as a mood-booster, but Reto Klauser believes that the confection can do a lot more than that. “When you allow the chocolate to slowly melt in your mouth, it produces brain and heart activities similar to the feeling of passionate kissing,” said Klauser, who cited research that links chocolate with serotonin, a brain chemical that contributes
to feelings of well-being and happiness.

The general manager of Makati Shangri-La made the claim as he led the launch of “Sinfully,” the hotel’s first off-site patisserie at the high-end Greenbelt 5 mall. Its main attraction, not surprisingly, is the “kiss,” a lip-shaped chocolate with a glossy candy-coated veneer.

In the store, customers can choose from three kinds of “kisses”– Caribbean (white chocolate filled with star anise), French (dark chocolate filled with raspberry), and Italian (dark chocolate filled with amaretto and coffee). Of the three, the Caribbean kiss is “most Filipino” because of the star anise, said Christine Espiritu, a services associate for the store. She added that the patisserie may come up with a Filipino kiss soon, depending on the demand for the confection.

For original article, see http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/09/22/11/how-do-you-your-kiss-caribbean-french-or-italian

You may e-mail
the author at karen_flores@abs-cbn.com

or visit her food blog at http://asliceofkeix.blogspot.com