As the Valentine's Day is coming, industry gears up to spew out roses, cards and confectionery. Chocoholism reached almost epidemic proportions in 2002 as the world chomped its way through chocolate bars, sweets and pralines worth a staggering .2 billion. Research from business information group Datamonitor put the Irish and British at the top of the chocolate-munchers league. While Europe as a whole spent .2 billion on chocolate last year, Britons made almost one in three chocolate purchases, while in Belgium, considered by many to be the home of the chocolate-maker's art, Belgian put away only 8.4 kilos per head. But tastes vary widely. The French prefer simplicity and purity of taste, without additional flavors and with little sugar, while Italian tastes are geared toward the more indulgent and sophisticated end of the market. The Japanese prefer milk chocolate, the Thais go for white chocolate and in Hong Kong and Singapore, dark varieties come out as favorites. (Agencies) | 隨著情人節的到來，商家挾著鋪天蓋地的鮮花、情人卡片和糖果來勢洶洶。而在2002年，巧克力大行其道，銷量驚人，全世界共吃掉了價值422億美元的巧克力條、各色糖果及脆皮果仁。 根據著名市場研究分析公司Datamonitor所作的調查，愛爾蘭人和英國人吃的巧克力最多。 2002年整個歐洲的巧克力銷售額是192億美元，英國幾乎占了其中的三分之一。而在以制作巧克力工藝著稱的比利時，人均消費巧克力卻只有8.4千克。 每個地方對于巧克力口味的偏好各不相同。 法國人喜歡口味純正、少糖的巧克力，不喜歡添加了其他口味的花色巧克力，而意大利人則喜歡縱情享受各種各樣的巧克力，將其繁復精妙發揮到極致。 日本人喜愛牛奶巧克力，泰國人對白巧克力情有獨鐘，而在香港和新加坡，各式黑巧克力則更受歡迎。 Put away: 吃掉 （中國日報網站譯） |
Updated: 2003-02-14 01:00
