THE SECRET BEHIND THE SEAHORSE. (Guylian Chocolate Sea Shells)

Member Name: PRINCESSPUSSYCAT

Product:	Guylian Chocolate Sea Shells
Date:	26/03/08 (634 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Delicious flavour of Belgian chocolate.

Disadvantages: More'ish as chocolates tend to be.

*^* GUYLIAN CHOCOLATE SEASHELLS *^*

I love GuyLian chocolate. There is just something about the ingredients of Belgian chocolate that makes it absolutely delicious. I was very spoilt this year and amongst my Easter gifts I received an enormous GuyLian Easter egg boxed in white with large pictures of the glossy seashells displayed across the top of the box. The impressive GuyLian name was slashed across the box in gold lettering and the description of 'Guylian's finest Belgian chocolates' written across the top of the box.


**GuyLian The world's favourite Belgian chocolates**

In 1960 Guy Foubert married Liliane, he combined their two names to create the name 'GuyLian'. Guy was a master praline maker, and he sold his hand made truffles at a local Belgian market. His business was based at his home kitchen in those days and they sold their wares to the local shops. Guy wanted a range inspired by his hometown, and one that would become his trademark, and thus was born 'Sea Shells' with inspiration drawn from the Belgian seaside. - 'Guy Foubert was the first to introduce modern technology to a cottage industry. He succeeded in producing Chocolate Sea Shells in large quantities without changing any details of his original recipe from the 1950's'.


**GuyLian Sea shells**

These really are the most delightful chocolates out there, and they are extremely well crafted. They are presented in a white box with a picture of the world famous Seahorse chocolate upon the front, with the statement 'Finest Belgian Chocolate Sea Shells'. The box that I have is from my Easter egg presentation box, and the weight is 125g. The box is air tight foil sealed which I think it a great idea and it keeps the chocolates in prime condition. It's the first time that I have seen this protective packaging on chocolates and perhaps other brands will follow GuyLian with this innovative packaging for keeping the chocolates fresh.


**The Product**

To the inside of the white box you have separate compartments that house the GuyLian Sea shells. The shells are perfectly formed to look just like the real thing, and visually it makes for a very attractive display. Each shell being a different kind, and of course, the box also incorporates the famous GuyLian sea horse. The shells are perfectly formed into the shape of specific sea shells, and there are eleven different varieties, and they really are well crafted to the finest detail. The chocolate shells comprise of two different kinds. You have the glossy variety, and also the matt ones. They dark shells have white marbling, and a high gloss sheen, and the matt ones are whiter with the same marbling, with a mixture of white marbling and milk chocolate. This balance between matt and gloss breaks up the display and gives an interesting contrast to the selection, and looking at the chocolates now I would say that GuyLian sea shells give off a real impression of quality.


**The Sea Horse**

The chocolate sea horse shape is delightful and something you immediately associate with GuyLian chocolates. The chocolate sea horse is beautifully formed, with its head tucked down to its chest, and its tail curled round, and all finished off with a high gloss effect to the chocolate. I had heard quite a bit about project Sea Horse so I visited the site www.projectseahorse.org to find out a little more, and to also find out GuyLian's involvement in this campaign. The part that GuyLian play in the project is that they are a major sustaining sponsor and contributor to Project Seahorse research and marine conservation projects around the world. It is a really interesting site and gives all kinds of information on the sea horse. -"Saving seahorses means saving the seas". Seahorses help advance marine conservation, serving as excellent flagship species for a wide range of marine conservation issues".


"Even more important, however, is the opportunity to advance marine conservation in general. Securing the future for seahorses, their relatives and their habitats will require the cooperation of scientists, regulatory authorities and non-governmental organizations around the world." - "Seahorses are charismatic and regarded fondly by interest groups in diverse cultures. Project Seahorse shares the Yves Rocher Foundation's philosophy that the future of humankind will depend on its capacity to live in harmony with nature". - So by including the sea horse within their chocolates they are bringing an important issue to the fore, and by also displaying what a beautiful creature the Sea horse actually is.


**The Chocolate*

The chocolates consist of rich cocoa chocolate and smooth hazelnut praline. The casing to the chocolate shells is hard and brittle. They are very well made and do not flake or crumble. They remain in their shell form perfectly. I hate to see chocolates that are bruised or scuffed, it just spoils the effect. I like to see a perfect presentation that withstands transportation and the shop displays, and the GuyLian sea shells remain perfectly intact, with their unique crafting, making them an ideal gift that you know will look untouched. They have a marbled effect upon and through the chocolate, of dark bitter chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate making them interesting to look at, and not of one flat solid colour. Some of the shells have a high gloss to them making them even more appealing to the taste buds, and the others are matt. This contrast of effects looks impressive and breaks up the visual presentation within the box.


**The Aroma Of Chocolate**

Trying to describe this always reminds me of the film 'Chocolat', when the prospective customers wait on the French cobbled streets, sniffing in the enticing smell of home made chocolate that was being prepared inside. You could almost smell it yourself as they sniffed the air outside the Chocolate shop. Well, the aroma of GuyLian's chocolate is divine. Because it is foil sealed it really retains its fresh chocolate aroma inside the box. As I said before I think all chocolates should be packaged this way, it just makes good sense, and by the first scented waft of chocolate to hit me as I peeled away the foil airtight seal, it retains its captured essence of the rich chocolate. The aroma is beautifully defined, sharp and full of cocoa strength. A rich, deep, creamy chocolate smell that greets my olfactory senses, and satisfies my expectancy of what the GuyLian brand is all about.-


**The Taste**

This is the good part, as I love the flavour of GuyLian chocolate. As you bite through the delicious top layer of hard thick chocolate, it snaps between your teeth, and you reach the praline hazelnut filling which is smooth and thick. The melding of these two textures and flavours within your mouth are absolutely gorgeous. The thick creamy continental chocolates is fused with the paste of the praline hazelnut, and slowly they fill your palate with the creamiest layer of white, milk, and dark chocolate, with the hazelnut praline which clings to your palate, and fills your whole mouth with the velvet feel, and delicious taste of quality chocolate and praline cream. The taste lasts a good while within the mouth, and the aftertaste leaves a creaminess and cocoa taste which is very satisfying. After eating a sea shell the experience is that you have just eaten a little bit of luxury, as tends to be the case with continental chocolates, and you are left wanting more.


**The Ingredients**

The ingredients appear to be very natural, with no added E numbers to worry about, and the recipe remains the same today as when it was first produced. The sea shells contain: Sugar- Hazelnuts- Whole milk powder - Milk Solids -Cocoa butter - Cocoa mass - Soya - Chocolate - White chocolate - **WARNING** May contain traces of NUT or GLUTEN. -


**My Opinion**

What can I say? Guylian chocolates are absolutely gorgeous, delicious, as anyone will know who has tried them. I don't think they are expensive for what they are, and the blend of chocolate is first class. The shells are extremely more'ish as chocolates do tend to be. I am also impressed with the company for giving their time and dedication to 'Project Seahorse', and for trying to save an endangered species, and preserve marine life. I love the look of the chocolate shells, they are beautifully crafted and they show imagination, and make for a lovely visual boxed display. I also recommend Belgian chocolate. It has a lovely rich creamy cocoa quality to it. - Guylian Sea shells come in all different boxed sizes and prices. I even got the tiniest box at Christmas for the stocking which was only .99p. - Check out their website for all relevant information. www.guylian.be or email them at:guymail@guylian.be


GuyLian is the leading Belgian boxed chocolate manufacturer. -



Thank you for reading
PRINCESSPUSSYCAT 2008*

Summary: A quality brand of Belgian chocolates in sea shell shape.