BELGIUM: Cupid's arrow targets love potions, Belgian chocolate and edible underwear to woo lovers on Valentine's Day

Record ID: 701162

  • Title: BELGIUM: Cupid's arrow targets love potions, Belgian chocolate and edible underwear to woo lovers on Valentine's Day
  • Date: 14th February 2009
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (FEBRUARY 13, 2009) (REUTERS) BALLOONS SAYING 'BRUSSELS IN LOVE' (English) HEART SHAPED SCULPTURE IN ST HUBERT GALLERY SIGN READING 'BRUSSELS IN LOVE' AND WOMAN STIRRING 'LOVE POTION' MADE OUT OF CHOCOLATE 'LOVE POTION' BEING STIRRED SIGN READING 'WARM UP YOUR HEART WITH THE ACTICOA LOVE POTION' (French) LOVE POTION BEING POURED INTO A CUP
  • Embargoed: 1st March 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA4SU1S9HAJ3ARDDR2C589DDGHL
  • Story Text: What better way to say 'I love you' on Valentine's Day than with the best chocolate in the world? But why stop there when you can go straight to the point and buy edible underwear to satisfy your heart's desire.
    The day of love is upon us and as tradition would have it Belgians flock to the best chocolate shops in the capital city to buy one of their greatest assets.
    But one chocolate maker found a new way of making lovers' hearts beat a little faster: a love potion made out of Acticoa chocolate which is rich in anti-oxidants.
    The house of chocolate Barry Callebaut will offer the unctuous concoction free throughout Brussels Valentine's Day.
    The organisers didn't quite manage to get the right temperature to make a truly hot potion on the St Valentine's eve. But they hope to get it right on the day. All the same, drinkers were convinced it would do the trick.
    "Yes I hope it will heat up for tomorrow," says Hilde.
    "Yes in a few hours!" says Bart Dero.
    "Its very tasty, very special taste, it has a very rich taste," says Hilde Bogaert.
    The secret of the love potion is Acticoa. Barry Callebaut says they have scientific evidence that just 17grammes of Acticoa helps the body maintain a healthy blood pressure and is good for the heart.
    And the action around the pot seemed to prove them right at least on the second claim.
    "And I promise you it works for life! Its fantastic (KISSES MAN) we are getting married! says Madame Rousseau
    "Because of the cocoa flavonoids in the chocolate the blood circulation is increased and that's why you really quickly feel the stimulating effects so you can really see it as a love potion," says BArry Callebaut marketing manager Ann Dhoedt (pronounced Doot)
    "Its very nice" says the man "Love. Its real love" says Wen Dee, a Thai tourist
    "I feel in love!" "bye" says another tourist.
    Another destination on the road to love is the more sedate part of Brussels known as the Grand Sablon where chocolate shops abound.
    Witamer, established at the turn of the last century, is considered amongst the masters of all things chocolate in Brussels and few dates are as important to them as St Valentine's.
    In the week leading up to February 14 Witamer's kitchens concentrating on the heart and little else.
    The delectable Valentine pralines are made using a mixture of milk, dark and white chocolate and a dash of strawberry to give them the deep red colour of passion that lies at the heart of St Valentine's Day.
    But as we know, love is not everything, and the the financial crisis has made Belgian lovers cautious with their money. Witamer's answer is to produce smaller boxes for less. And you can start as low as a single chocolate.
    Away from the traditional heights of the Sablon, in the commercial centre of Brussels, lovers with a sense of humour can get down to business and buy their loved ones a g-string and bra made out of sweets or even chocolate body paint.
    Candy-string make nipple tassels as well for those wanting to really push the love boat out.
    Shop owner Daniel Velter says its a simple but effective way for the more carnal lovers of saying 'I love you'.
    'Tasty and Titillating' is their motto but as Velter explains, the customers are not quite what you would expect.
    "Mainly the string for women is bought by boys and vice versa. So, the string for boys is bought by not so young women, mostly elderly women," Velter says Brussels in love.
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