Life is like... candy!

Tom Hanks, as Forest Gump, one of the most famous film heroes of all time, said these famous words: "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you''re gonna get." To sum up: life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you''re going to get. And we''d like to add that for those of you who aren''t the biggest fans of surprises, instead of the classics, you can go for a slightly different confectionery, made to your specifications. But more on that later, first, let''s take a look at how the idea for a candy bar was born, came to life and... survived.

The history of the bonbonniere

The first known sweet dates back to 1854, and a decade later, in 1868 to be precise, Richard Cadbury came up with the idea for the heart-shaped sweet that today makes Valentine''s Day, the day of all lovers, virtually unthinkable. Richard Cadbury was the son of John Cadbury, the founder of the Cadbury company, which has survived to the present day. The company''s primary business is anything but chocolate - so the apple didn''t fall far from the tree.

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you''re gonna get."

Of course,chocolates are not just an extremely appropriate gift for Valentine''s Day. From birthday celebrations, anniversaries, weddings, etc., to visits to acquaintances - it''s a seemingly small gesture, but it''s a virtually universal gift that''s sure to make the recipient happy.

A few more interesting facts about chocolate pralines/truffles:

• The chocolate candies that make up a bonbonniere are commonly referred to as pralines, and interestingly, the original pralines, which were ''invented'' in the 17th century by Marshal du Plessis-Praslin, the French sugar factory owner from whom the confectionery takes its name, did not contain chocolate at all, but were made from almonds and caramel.
• Truffles, which also means truffles, is often used as a synonym for pralines, which the slightly more strict confectionery lovers would probably also object to. Chocolate truffles, pioneered in the 1920s by the French culinary master Auguste Escoffier, were accidentally made from a mixture of chocolate and cream, cooled and shaped into balls and then rolled in cocoa.
• Today, there are several versions of truffles. While the original French truffles were simply rolled in cocoa, the Belgian truffles are more similar to what is commonly known in Slovenian as pralines. These are chocolate (milk or dark) with various fillings.
• Bonboniera also appears in the title of one of the stories by the famous crime writer Agatha Christie. Her well-known literary hero, the detective Hercule Poirot, recalls in the story ''The Chocolate Box'' one of the few cases he was unable to solve with his own skill. In the end, it turned out that the solution to the case was hidden in a box of chocolates, which was used as the murder weapon. Fortunately, this is pure fiction, although it is hard to dispute that pralines or truffles can be murderously good ... whatever they are called.

Make your own bonbonniere!

Are you a fan of pralines with nuts? Perhaps you prefer cream filling? Maybe caramel? Or maybe you''re one of those who think that quality chocolate is best paired with fruity flavours? Then of course there are white chocolate pralines and... The possibilities for combinations seem almost endless, so it is almost inevitable that in a confectionery made up of different types of pralines, we often find ones that are not to our taste. You can easily avoid this next time by making your own ideal bonbonniere. However, such a candy can also be a very special gift, as it will let the recipient know that you have not made a generic choice, but that you have invested time in the planning and that you know the recipient well.