Another reason I am so in love with Belgian chocolates above all others is because these folk have idealized the art of the pralinen. For those of you who aren't certain what a pralinen (also spelled praline) is, they are nothing like the American creation that includes the sugar glaze and nuts, Belgian pralines are what I can only match up to Whitman's sampler chocolates—molded chocolates with fillings, but this picture doesn't do justice to the distinction between the factory-made chocolate sampler portions and the actual pralines made in Belgium. Belgian pralines are more or less an art form, with elaborate molds and attention to detail. One of the most significant aspects about pralines is that they are not factory made—they are carefully "constructed" by the confectioner who fills them most frequently with light cream, ganache, or my favorite nutty, nougat-like nut-praline. Belgian chocolate makers and confectioners take their pralines very solemnly and Belgian customers are very choosy about whom they buy from and the quality of the delicacy. Praline assortments make excellent gifts since there are varieties to choose from and for such a gift, try the Belgian company, Del Rey. This famous chocolate purchaser offers the widest range of pralines I have come across and their chocolate quality is wonderful. The first Del Rey experience I had was with white chocolate and although it isn't my favorite, I had cause to change my feelings about white chocolate. After that, I ordered a small variety box and was thrilled at the freshness with which it came to my door. Aside from the white chocolate, I haven't had their pure bars of any other type, but I am sure they are of the matching quality as the delicious outer shell of my pralines, thus are likely to be a worthwhile purchase.
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