Bon Viveur's been thinking about one of our, and indeed your, most favourite foods - Indian. It's the third most popular cuisine in the UK with almost a fifth of us enjoying an Indian meal each week. But did you know that not every Indian dish is a curry? Only those that contain coconut are called curries - these mostly originate from Southern India and are referred to as Kari'. India apparently boasts more than 200 types of kebab, over 100 types of pulaos and biryanis and more than 150 varieties of traditional breads, including chapatti, rotis and naan. And according to Sharwood's some Indian dishes contain up to a staggering 30 different spices within the recipes. Food for thought indeed.

  • Quick snack or long lazy lunch? Bournemouth's newest restaurant, La Tasca, has something to suit every taste and budget. The Spanish tapas bar chain boasts paella and postres (desserts) and an extensive menu of salad, meat, vegetarian and seafood dishes to share. Meaning lid or cover in Spanish, it is believed the word tapa originates from the system innkeepers used to protect their punters' sherry from the flies. What started as a piece of bread placed on top of a glass soon evolved into a makeshift plate for cured meats and sausages to be enjoyed as an accompanying snack. This edible lid was the start of the tapas we know and love today. Speaking of which, Bon Viveur can particularly recommend the fresh aubergine topped with cheese, tomato and herbs - delicioso!
  • It might not be news to any sweet-toothed readers but researches say chocolate is the best food to make a woman smile. They studied the facial expressions of 300 women as they ate ice cream, chocolate, yoghurt and apples and mapped their expressions using software that can read' emotions.

Chocolate apparently induces pleasure by triggering the release of happy hormones - serotonin, dopamine and endorphins - and Bon Viveur was intrigued to hear you can now match a chocolate to your mood or even pick a new mood with a different chocolate!

Belgian chocolate makers, NewTree, have just released six new taste sensations to stimulate all the senses. Pick from Serenity (calming bitter orange), Pleasure (intense dark chocolate), Eternity (blackcurrant), Young (cherry), Tranquility (relaxing lavendar) and Sexy (aphrodisiac ginger).

  • We've all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But it turns out apples are a great hangover cure too. They contain polyphenols, a special antioxidant that helps the blood flow. And the more your blood flows, the better your head will feel!