The Gift of a Chocolate Kiss
It may not be Hershey’s, but Heidelberg, Germany’s famous chocolate “kiss” has a sweet history. The year was 1863. If you were young and female, you were probably socializing after school – accompanied by a chaperone, of course – at the town’s popular Café Knösel, where its namesake chocolatier, Fridolin Knösel, was busy concocting his decadent confections.
If you were a male student at the nearby university, you were most likely also frequenting the café to check out the fairer sex, longing to steal a glance. The clever chocolatier, picking up on the innocent ritual of subtle flirtation, decided to create a tempting chocolate delight he fittingly dubbed “The Student’s Kiss.” Made with praline-nougat-chocolate filling atop a crispy wafer and coated in rich dark chocolate, the Student’s Kiss was presented in a small box where a handwritten letter could be tucked away, sending sweet messages between hopeful courters without the watchful eyes of chaperones.
Knösel’s descendants have carried on the family tradition and still handmake the chocolates using the original recipe, selling them in the heart of Heidelberg’s Old Town, which you can visit during our Captivating Rhine, Enchanting Rhine, Rhine & Moselle Splendors, Rhine & Moselle Delights, Rhine & Moselle Fairytales, Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps and Christmas Markets on the Rhine sailings.
Many of the above sailings also include the German port city of Cologne, renowned for its impressive Chocolate Museum, where, during your free time, you can learn about the history and production of chocolate, plus get an insider’s look at its famed chocolate factory – and get a taste for yourself!