Chocolate Fondue: A Delicious Adventure for Kids

Once upon a time, many years ago, somewhere in the snow-capped mountains of distant Switzerland, inside a wooden cabin by the roaring fireplace, someone lit a candle under a pot and melted cheese.
A cube of stale bread left over from the previous night's meal was speared with a long fork, dipped into the melted cheese, and came to life again.
That someone called this brilliant invention "fondue," which means "melted" in French.

Centuries later, somewhere in bustling New York, someone decided to replace the cheese in the fondue pot with chocolate.
Chocolate Fondue.
Suddenly, the fruits speared on those same long forks looked much more tempting.

Sure, fruits are best eaten on their own, fresh and colorful, beautifully cut, and appealingly arranged on a plate.
But when there's a reason to celebrate, like Rosh Chodesh, Tu Bishvat, a family member's birthday, report cards with excellent grades, or just a day off needing a fun activity for the kids—it's the perfect time to pull out that fondue set.

Things to consider:

• Though this afternoon activity is fun for kids, it can also get quite messy.
• An adult must always be present. Kids should not be left alone with the fondue set while the candle is lit beneath it.

You can make the chocolate yourself, following the precise recipe from the previous article:

• 1/4 cup cocoa butter
• 1/4 cup cocoa mass, or coconut oil, or nut/peanut butter of your choice
• A heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons of honey or silan (made from 100% dates with no additives) or pure natural maple syrup

Alternatively, hunt for high-quality chocolate at the supermarket, meaning chocolate with cocoa butter or cocoa mass listed first in the ingredients, before sugar.
Also, make sure it has no unnecessary additives and e-numbers.

Light the candle, place the chocolate or its ingredients in the fondue pot to melt, and while it's melting, cut the fruits:

"...You may eat from every tree in the garden..." (Genesis 2:16).

Apples
Apples contain a wealth of phytochemicals—these are fascinating compounds found in the plant world (phyto = plant in Latin) that are still being researched.
Some phytochemicals are highly beneficial to humans and are crucial for their nutrition.
Some of the important phytochemicals in apples include quercetin, catechin, phloridzin—incredibly powerful antioxidants that greatly benefit our health and prevent a variety of illnesses.
The flavonoids in apples have antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
Pectin is a fiber crucial for proper digestion, as well as for slowing sugar absorption in the blood, among many other things.
Perhaps this is why there's that popular saying in English: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
By the way, all these nutrients are found mostly in the peel, so don't peel your apple, just wash it well and enjoy its colorful skin which comes in red, green, or yellow.

Kiwi
"Juicy kiwi with Vitamin C," lots of Vitamin C. Much more than in citrus fruits. In fact, a medium kiwi contains about the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C for an adult.
This Chinese gooseberry isn't just filled with Vitamin C, but also with potassium, Vitamin E, Vitamin K and a bonus of digestive enzymes (like actinidin).
* Tip for a natural beauty mask: Place a few slices of kiwi on clean facial skin, rest for fifteen minutes and let the vitamins work their magic. Great for smooth, firm, and glowing facial skin.
Kiwi also contains phytochemicals like lutein and zeaxanthin, contributing to vision function and preventing various eye issues.

Pineapple
Tropical, exotic, pineapple.
One of the most expensive (and delicious) fruits in Israel.
The name pineapple translates to "good fruit". Let's see if it lives up to the title and price:
It's rich in many vitamins, not just Vitamin C, but also the B-complex, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and powerful, essential antioxidants.
The combination of manganese and Vitamin C assists in building collagen, a protein often mentioned recently, especially in anti-aging discussions.
Pineapple also contains beta-carotene, which contributes to eye health.
What's very interesting about pineapple is that it contains digestive enzymes like bromelain, which help break down proteins, leading to many recipes recommending pairing beef with pineapple.
Bromelain is also known as a natural blood thinner, anti-inflammatory, and even has pain-relieving properties.
Another enzyme present in pineapple is papain. Some claim that papain, when combined with bromelain, creates a deadly combination for parasites (like intestinal worms) inhabiting the digestive system.
Truth is, there are so many benefits to this fruit; it deserves an entire article.
Meanwhile, let's just say it certainly justifies its name "good fruit," and likely its price, too.

What other fruits do you want to add to your fondue?

Serve the colorful fruit platter alongside the fondue pot with the melted chocolate—and let the party begin.
The healthiest part of it all isn't the liquid chocolate with all its benefits as we covered in the last article, nor the fruits packed with vitamins and phytochemicals—the healthiest part is the laughter and delight of the children when they dip the fruit impaled on a long fork into the melted chocolate, which drips onto the table, the hands, and a bit on the floor—thank Hashem for the invention of wipes (the invention of the century, in my opinion, which has long surpassed sliced bread).

I'm not done talking about chocolate yet. In the next article, with Hashem's help, I want to give a delicious recipe for chocolate balls that are also very, very healthy.
Meanwhile, I'll go clean up the dining area and toss the heaps of clothes stained with chocolate into the washing machine.
Until then, lots of health,
Chen Tovi