To be honest I have always been very English abroad in that regard because since I had never heard of it how could it be any good? In addition the consumer should always be wary of the mystery import. This usually means it is a commodity which cannot be moved for love or money in its country of origin. However, in America anything vaguely European such as European suspension (read stiff suspension), is exotic and desirable beyond any copy writer’s wildest dreams. Example – Illy Café appeared in San Francisco a few years back and seemed to take the restaurant community by storm. Apparently back home in Italy it rates down there with Nescafe. Similarly Stella Artois, an extremely popular Belgian beer in England wouldn’t be fed to the dog in Belgium. So, Ritter Sport, a German chocolate with a silly name was passed over in favour of the old and familiar chunky Kit Kat. My world came tumbling down a few weeks later when my room mate at the time, Danny, had a Ritter Sports milk chocolate with hazelnuts on his desk. Danny being Danny it was only half eaten. The only man I know who can make a chocolate bar last a whole week. For those of you who know Danny this is not because he is health conscious, on the contrary, his notorious ‘Nicofeine’ diet consisting of coke, Marlboros and café lattes is a matter of social lore in certain circles. These are all washed down with a healthy dose of ESPN leaving Danny basking in a satori of bliss who only the most devout Buddhist monk dare dream of. Anyway, I digress, he offered me a piece and from that point on Cadbury’s whole nut is a poor substitute for the Ritter Sport milk chocolate with hazelnuts. As one would expect from German chocolate it is very efficient. The bar itself is square (Quality in a square its motto), and packs 16 squares neatly and efficiently. The packaging itself is a feat of ingenuity. No messy foil or peeling back of paper. No, simply turn the bar over and break along the dotted line as indicated, this action easily opens the bar along the packages re-sealable seam. The latter feature redundant in my case, since the Ritter is best consumed in less than 5 minutes one delicious chunk at a time.
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Lotus Flower |
