Balls

I don't know if it's all that rich cake I've been eating or explicit posts on chocolate , but my mind seems to be clogged by chocolate-related thoughts at the moment.

Unlike lots of my compatriots, I'm actually very partial to Mozartkugeln, probably the most popular edible souvenir from Austria. With Mozart Year on the horizon, sales will no doubt mutliply and more merchandising like this will follow. I'm predicting Mozart toilet paper at the very least.

Well, Wolfgang Amadeus recently got some local competition in the form of Lipizzanerkugeln. Judging from the amateurish website, the producers of the equestrian droppings don't pose a serious threat yet but you never know. They already have a sales outlet conveniently located right on Stephansplatz and as soon as they master a homepage with focused photos and a colour-scheme that doesn't fry your retina, I foresee bulk-buying by Lipizzaner-loving tourists.

Although the name Mozartkugeln, literally Mozart('s) balls, might arguably also have unpleasant connotations, Lipizzanerkugeln make me think of steaming balls of horse shit, the odour of which everyone who resides/works in Vienna's inner city is only too familiar with. I'm obviously not alone with my filthy imagination since a popular newspaper columnist recently wrote an article on the "horse chocolate", as he calls it. I've yet to try them, stay tuned for a review (at some stage in January when I've worked through my ever-growing stash of Christmas cookies and chocolate gifts).

My most intesting rotund-chocolate-discovery this year undoubtedly were Prešernove kroglice, chocolate balls named after Slovenia's national poet. I bought a huge box of them when I was in Ljubljana on a day-trip in August, in my chauvinism assuming them to be a lame copy of our holy Mozartkugeln. When I shared them with my equally chocolate-addicted colleagues we all let out a collective sigh of almost pornographic proportions. Prešeren's balls were de-lish-ous! I usually prefer dark chocolate but these milky-nougaty-chocolate balls were divine. In the center there's a roasted, caramelised hazelnut. As I couldn't remember the name of the company that produces P's balls, my googling unfortunately didn't produce a website or decent picture and you therefore have to rely on my memory regarding the filling of the little buggers I've been lusting after since that memorable experience 4 months ago. I'm planning to stock up on them if I ever manage to heave my body away from the sofa during the Christmas holidays at my parents'.

Purchases: Bought some little just-in-case-presents (candles, tea, a cool mug) from Demmers Teehaus in my lunch-break yesterday and need to do some more pressie-shopping after work tonight. Theoretically, I have gifts for everyone, but I need some little extras for some people. I would have preferred to get them at lunch-time but I had a date with a friend at a café.