The other day, I popped one of those LINDOR truffles (with that distinctly smooth melting center) into my mouth, almost absent-mindedly getting an afternoon chocolate-fix, and it stopped me in my tracks. It evoked such a strong memory.
As with that Proustian petit madeleine that—when dunked into tea—prompt’s the author’s narrator to recall his childhood, the chocolate prompted me to recall the sound of my feet pounding, racing down a hotel hall over ornate carpet and past endless ivory doors.
When I would travel with my parents as a little girl, I would always look for chocolates on the hotel pillow. It stemmed from one particular trip—to Vancouver—when the hotel placed LINDOR truffles on the bed each night. I thought they were the best chocolates I’d ever had, and even if I didn’t know enough to appreciate the luxury of “turndown service,” I knew they were special.
There were always four chocolates in the room and just three of us. And to the race’s victor went the spoils.
Getting to have to have two truffles was the best. One to eat in halves, slowly examining the way the chocolate was smooth and melted inside a firm but delicate outer shell. A second to eat whole—to fully appreciate that slightly cool contrast, as I let it melt on my tongue. I’ve since learned that, in Lindt parlance, this is the LINDOR “melt moment.”
When I offered one to Hudson, he ate his slowly: biting into it, eyes alighting, and then licking the inside as the exterior grew just as molten—all over his fingers and his face. He was completely focused on that melt moment—he was doing nothing but savoring the taste and sensation of chocolate.
It made me think about that afternoon chocolate fix in a different light: For me, the “melt moment” is about going back to childhood in more ways than one. It’s a moment that also reminds one about the joy of being mindful, and slow, and present—of doing nothing but appreciating a flavor or savoring a sensation.
And it made me think I need to be sure I find ways to do that often.
What is your petit madeleine or “melt moment”? Have you had one lately? And how do you like to take a few minutes to slow down?
This post is sponsored by Lindt, but the memories and reflections here are completely my own.
LINDOR Chocolate Day is coming up May 9. If you’re interesting in trying a LINDOR Milk Chocolate truffle, visit LindtUSA.com/LINDOR now through May 9 to download a special LINDOR truffle coupon.
And if you’re in New York, Minneapolis or San Francisco, there are going to be events with complimentary truffles in Times Square, the Mall of America, and Marina Green Triangle (respectively) on May 9 from 12 – 8 p.m.
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