In the 90’s, more precisely 1994, Maria Helena my mother, found a talent in turning simples cloths into beautiful dresses for children, her dress were truly pieces of art made with lots of care and charmed everyone that saw them.
My mother made and should her dresses and other children’s clothing, not only for casual clients but also for shops in the shopping center of my city, but the coolest things was that me and my sister were her models, we cat walked in the center every time there was a new collection. Her sewing atelier, due to re homing reasons, sadly was closed after 4 years later.
You might be asking,what does my mothers sewing atelier have to do with billy&bugga handcrafted chocolates?
When the sewing atelier opened it’s doors the name billy&bugga were chosen in homage to me and my sister since these were our childhood nicknames.
I, bugga, have always had an interest in chocolates, I remember when I was a child I would seat on top of the table and always help my mother make brigadeiro and packaging it for our parties.
The years passed by and I’ve found a passion and talent for making chocolates.
The name billy&bugga represents my childhood filled with pretty dresses and brigadeiros, it represents the person I am today, it represent my daughters who live in a world filled with ribbons,dresses and of course a lot of chocolate.
Brazil is know for samba, barbecue and for caipirinha, but the sweets from our country can also take breaths away.
The chocolate collection brazil in watercolours brings with it everything brazil, from its exotic ingredients to the watercolours drawings exclusive to each package.
The collection is composed of 5 chocolates each one representing a region of Brazil in their tastes, textures and history in order to show the wonderland that is brazil and it’s rich culture.
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The North Region is the largest region in Brazil. It comprises the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins. Almost the entire region is covered by Amazon Rainforest, except the state of Tocantins, which has savanna-like vegetation (cerrado).
Cumaru, the scented tree!
Native to the Amazon, cumaru is an aromatic and medicinal tree that exudes a pleasant fragant. The fruit is born from the flower of a tropical tree of the legume family. In Brazil it is known as the vanilla of the Amazon and internationally known as fava tonka. Moist and sprinkled over desserts, or mixed with syrups, their seeds taste so special that they have earned the nickname "the most delicious ingredient you have ever heard of.”
Chiefly known as Nordeste "Northeast" in Brazil, this region was the first to be discovered and colonized by the Portuguese and other European peoples, playing a crucial role in the country's history. Nordeste's dialects and rich culture, including its folklore, cuisines, music and literature, became the most easily distinguishable across the country. To this day, Nordeste is widely recognized for its history and culture, as well as for its beautiful natural sights and its hot weather.
Cashew Nuts Or Cajú, The cashew tree is a native tree from Brazil, native to the coastal region. The cashew (from the Tupi-Guarani was or was, with the meaning of year, since the Indians counted the age at each harvest) is often regarded as the fruit of the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) when, in fact, it is a pseudofruit. What we popularly understand as "cashew" consists of two parts: the fruit itself, which is the chestnut; and its floral peduncle, pseudofruit usually confused with the fruit.
The Southeast Region of Brazil (Portuguese: Região Sudeste do Brasil) is composed by the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The Southeast is the vital center of the country, where the largest cities, the highest population density, the largest deposits of iron ore, the largest hydropower plants, the largest rail network and the best ports are concentrated. It's the most important industrial, commercial and financial region of Brazil.
The peanut (called Mani in the Tupi language, which means "buried") is a popular food in every region of Brazil, and can be eaten as either a sweet or savory snack. The seed is part of Brazilian culture, and is the main ingredient in many traditional recipes, such as paçoca, pé-de-moleque (peanut brittle), cakes and even ice creams. The state of São Paulo is responsible for 80% of the national production.
Vanilla edwalli, also known as "banana vanilla." Finding the Cerrado vanilla is not an easy task, its cultivation requires a lot of work, the pollination is done manually, its extraction has to be done delicately and each flower gives Few fava beans per year. The 'fava' of vanilla - measures 20 to 25 cm in length and has an elongated shape, has a rich aroma and very fragrant.
The Central-West or Center-West Region of Brazil (Portuguese: Região Centro-Oeste do Brasil) is composed of the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul; along with Distrito Federal (Federal District), where Brazil's national capital, Brasília, is situated. This Region is right in the heart of Brazil. Central West is the only landlocked Brazilian region. The region offers excellent opportunities for eco-tourism activities such as exploring caves, rappelling down waterfalls or just trekking through the cerrado (an ecosystem similar, in some ways, to the savannah). It is also well known for the Pantanal, the world's largest wetland, close to the Brazil's western border.
The South is composed of three states: Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. The South is the southernmost region of Brazil. Its attractions range from the historic jesuit ruins of Missões in Rio Grande do Sul, to the excellent beaches of Santa Catarina and the unmissable Iguaçu Falls in Paraná. The South is the smallest of Brazilian regions, and also, economically speaking, one of the most developed.
Mate is as tea-like beverage brewed from the dried leaves and stemlets of the perennial tree Ilex paraguarensis (“Yerba Mate”). It actually has ancient origins as it was introduced to the world by the Guaraní Indians. The name “Mate” derives from the quichua word “matí” that names the gourd (Lagenaria vulgaris) that is traditionally used to drink the infusion, usually though a long metallic straw called a bombilla.
It tastes like happiness! No party in Brazil is complete without Brigadeiro. The best way that we Brazilians could explain what is Brigadeiro, is that, it's not a truffle, it's not a fudge, it's not a bonbon, Brigadeiro is unique chocolate in of itself.
Brazil is colour, dance, genuine smiles, wonderful cities and flavours... and also the land of caipirinha - a drink that is a wonderful as anything you can get. The caipirinha (pronounced kai-purr-REEN-yah) a cocktail made by muddling limes with sugar and then adding sugarcane liquor and ice.
Brigadeiro is an original Brazilian creation and curiously the sweet was born on the 40’s, due to the political presidential campaign of candidate brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes Candidate Eduardo Gomes, with his military title of brigadeiro, was very popular among woman, so much so that his slogan was “vote in brigadeiro he is pretty and single” (it sounds better in Portuguese) this way the more dedicated female voters in order to promote his campaign would organise parties to gather funds.
In these events it was very common to sell sweets, however since this was the post war era there was a lack of fresh milk and sugar.
Because of this they had to use condensed milk mixed with butter and chocolate.
Unfortunately brigadeiro was not elected however he was immortalised by having one of Brazil’s most beloved sweets named after him.
