Belgian chocolate (French : Chocolat Belge, German : Belgische Schokolade, Dutch : Belgische Chocolade) is chocolate produced in Belgium. A major industry since the 19th century, today it forms an important part of the nation's economy and culture.
The raw materials used in chocolate production do not originate in Belgium; most cocoa is produced in Africa, Central America, and South America. Nonetheless, the country has an association with the product that dates to the early 17th century. The industry expanded massively in the 19th century, gaining an international reputation and, together with the Swiss, Belgium became one of the commodity's most important producers in Europe. Although the industry has been regulated by law since 1894, there is no universal standard for the chocolate to be labelled "Belgian". The most commonly accepted standard dictates that the actual production of the chocolate must take place inside Belgium.
Belgium's association with chocolate goes back as far as 1635, when the country was under Spanish occupation shortly after chocolate had been brought to Europe from Mesoamerica. [1] By the mid-18th century, chocolate had become extremely popular in upper and middle-class circles, particularly in the form of hot chocolate. One lover of chocolate was Charles-Alexander of Lorraine, the Austrian governor of the territory. [2] From the early 20th century, the country was able to import large quantities of cocoa from its African colony, the Belgian Congo. By the 1900s, chocolate was increasingly affordable for the Belgian working class. [3] According to one study, Belgium first started to export more chocolate than it imported in the 1960s, with exports of "Belgian chocolates" growing exponentially since 1980. [4]
The praline is an invention of the Belgian chocolate industry, [5] as is the ballotin, a kind of packaging associated with high-quality chocolate that was designed by Louise Agostini, the wife of Jean Neuhaus Jr., in 1915. [6]
The composition of Belgian chocolate has been regulated by law since 1894 when, in order to prevent adulteration of the chocolate with low-quality fats from other sources, a minimum level of 35 percent pure cocoa was imposed. [7] [8] Attempts to introduce industry standardisation have met with little success. An attempt by the European Economic Community (EEC) to introduce minimum standards about the amount of cocoa butter substitutes across Europe led to prolonged negotiation but the legislation finally enacted, in 2003, was viewed as excessively lenient in Belgium. In 2007, a voluntary quality standard (to which about 90 percent of the country's chocolate makers adhere) [9] was introduced by the European Union which set certain criteria for a product to be considered "Belgian chocolate". [9] Under this "Belgian Chocolate Code", refining, mixing and concheing must be done inside Belgium. [9]
Controversy about what can legitimately be called "Belgian chocolate" has been fueled by some traditional Belgian chocolatiers being purchased by non-Belgian companies and even moving production out of Belgium. Ignace Van Doorselaere, chief executive of chocolatier Neuhaus, insists that "In our dictionary, Belgian means place of manufacturing, headquarters and ownership", [10] but without an EU protected food status designation, those chocolatiers who remain 100% Belgian find the "Belgian chocolate" brand hard to protect.
Many firms produce chocolates by hand, which is laborious and explains the prevalence of small, independent chocolate outlets, which are popular with tourists.
Pralines made in Belgium are usually soft-centred confections with a chocolate casing. They are distinct from the nut and sugar sweets popular in France and the United States which are sometimes known by the same name. They were first introduced by Jean Neuhaus II in 1912. [11]
There have always been many forms and shapes, although they almost always consist of a chocolate shell with a softer filling. Confusion can arise over the use of the word praline in Belgium as it may refer to filled chocolates in general or sometimes to traditional "praliné"-filled chocolates popular in Europe (praliné refers to caramelised hazelnuts or almonds ground into a paste). Belgian pralines are not limited to the traditional praliné filling and often include nuts, marzipan, salted caramel, coffee, liquors, cream liqueur, cherry or a chocolate blend that contrasts with the outer shell. They are often sold in stylised boxes in the form of a gift box. The largest manufacturers are Neuhaus, Godiva, Leonidas, and Guylian.
Most commonly in the form of a flaky or smooth chocolate ball or traditionally a truffle-shaped lump, Belgian chocolate truffles are sometimes in encrusted form containing wafers or coated in a high-quality cocoa powder. They contain a soft ganache which is traditionally a semi-emulsion of liquid and therefore has a couple of days' shelf-life at low temperatures and/or requires refrigeration. Special truffles sometimes have a fruit, nut or coffee ganache. Rarely they feature a fruit-based liqueur or cream liqueur but remain distinguishable from pralines by their shape and texture in most cases—crossover 'praline-truffles' also exist.
Hand-finished and luxury examples of eggs, animals, figurines and Valentine's Day hearts are made by many smaller Belgian chocolatiers, as elsewhere, accounting for a relatively small market share however in peak demand at Valentine's Day, Easter, Sinterklaas and Christmas.
Chocolate plays an important part in the Belgian economy, and there are over 2,000 chocolatiers in the country, [1] both small and large. Today, chocolate is very popular in Belgium, with 172,000 tonnes produced each year, and widely exported. [1] Côte d'Or is probably the largest commercial brand, with their products available in virtually every grocery store in the country. The largest manufacturers of wider varieties of chocolates are mentioned at Pralines. Belgian pralines (fondants) shaped like sea shells, fish, diamonds and individualist creations topped with are sold in town centre shops, market stands and many village shops across Belgium.
Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring in other foods. The cacao tree has been used as a source of food for at least 5,300 years, starting with the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in what is present-day Ecuador. Later, Mesoamerican civilizations consumed cacao beverages, of which one, chocolate, was introduced to Europe in the 16th century.
A chocolate bar is a confection containing chocolate, which may also contain layerings or mixtures that include nuts, fruit, caramel, nougat, and wafers. A flat, easily breakable, chocolate bar is also called a tablet. In some varieties of English and food labeling standards, the term chocolate bar is reserved for bars of solid chocolate, with candy bar used for products with additional ingredients.
Belgian cuisine is widely varied among regions, while also reflecting the cuisines of neighbouring France, Germany and the Netherlands. It is characterised by the combination of French cuisine with the more hearty Flemish fare. Outside the country, Belgium is best known for its chocolate, waffles, fries and beer.
Milk chocolate is a form of solid chocolate containing cocoa, sugar and milk. It is the most consumed type of chocolate, and is used in a wide diversity of bars, tablets and other confectionery products. Milk chocolate contains smaller amounts of cocoa solids than dark chocolates do, and contains milk solids. While its taste has been key to its popularity, milk chocolate was historically promoted as a healthy food, particularly for children.
Godiva Chocolatier is a Belgian-based international chocolate maker which is owned by Turkish conglomerate Yıldız Holding.
A bonbon, sometimes bon-bon, is a small chocolate confection. They are sometimes filled with liqueur or other sweet alcoholic ingredients, and sold wrapped in colored foil.
Neuhaus is a Belgian chocolatier which manufactures and sells luxury chocolates, chocolate truffles, biscuits and ice cream. The company was founded in 1857 by Jean Neuhaus, a Swiss immigrant, who opened the first store in the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert in central Brussels. In 1912, his grandson, Jean Neuhaus II, invented the chocolate praline, a decadent chocolate cream ganache center inside a chocolate shell, the original filled chocolate.
A chocolatier is a person or company who makes confectioneries from chocolate. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other ingredients. They are pastry chefs or confectioners who specialize in chocolate and making chocolate candies. Chocolatiers work artisanally with ready-made chocolate mass and are therefore distinct from industrial chocolate makers; in the chocolate industry they are sometimes referred to derisively as "melters".
Chocolate liqueur is a chocolate-flavored liqueur made from a base liquor of whisky or vodka. Unlike chocolate liquor, chocolate liqueur contains alcohol. Chocolate liqueur is often used as an ingredient in mixology, baking, and cooking.
A chocolate truffle is a French chocolate confectionery traditionally made with a chocolate ganache centre and coated in cocoa powder, coconut, or chopped nuts. A chocolate truffle is handrolled into a spherical or ball shape. The name derives from the chocolate truffle's similarity in appearance to truffles, a tuber fungus. It was created in the city of Chambéry by the pastry chef Louis Dufour.
Swiss chocolate is chocolate produced in Switzerland. Switzerland's chocolates have earned an international reputation for high quality with many famous international chocolate brands.
Guylian is a Belgian chocolate brand and manufacturer best known for its seashell shaped pralines. The company was founded in 1958 in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium by Guy Foubert and is now owned by the South Korean company Lotte Confectionery.
Norman Love is an American pastry chef located in Fort Myers, Florida.
Choco-Story Brussels, formerly known as the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate, is a privately owned museum in Brussels, Belgium, established in 1998 at the initiative of Gabrielle Draps, the wife of the famous Belgian chocolate artisan Joseph "Jo" Draps, founder of Godiva Chocolatier. The museum provides demonstrations and tastings, and visitors can book a workshop to make chocolate bars and lollipops.
A chocolaterie is a type of business which both manufactures chocolate confections and sells them, at the same location. It is usually a small family business, often operating at only one location. The word is of French origin, and shops named as such are common in France and Belgium. The term is also used to designate larger chocolate production companies, such as Chocolaterie Guylian, many of which started as smaller shops. This type of store operates in other countries, such as the US, Canada, the UK and Germany, sometimes using the French term. Stores which sell candies and chocolate but do not produce their own brand are called confectionery stores, or other names depending on the region. The related occupational term is chocolatier, though this term is also used sometimes to describe chocolateries, such as Godiva Chocolatier.
Planète Chocolat is a Belgian chocolatier of artisan chocolates. The company was founded in 1991 and makes its chocolates with 100% pure cocoa butter. GoEuro selected Planète Chocolat as one of the Top 11 best chocolate shops in Europe. Planète Chocolat currently has one store where chocolates are handmade, sold, and distributed.
Pierre Marcolini is a Belgian chocolatier born in Charleroi, Belgium, in 1964.
Galler is a Belgian confectionery company, which has its head office in Vaux-sous-Chèvremont, a tiny village in the area of Liège. The company markets various products such as chocolate bars, slabs of chocolate, pralines, macarons, ice cream, and spreads. It also has a number of franchised boutiques under its brand.
Fruits de mer is a type of Belgian chocolate pralines made of dark and milk chocolate with a nougat filling, in the form of various seafood: seahorses, venus clams, mussels, starfish and various sea snails. The pralines are sold in chocolate shops, in supermarkets, and as handmade products in Konditorei shops.
Pralines, also known as Belgian chocolates, Belgian chocolate fondants or chocolate bonbons, are cases of chocolate filled with a soft centre. Jean Neuhaus II, a Belgian chocolatier, is generally credited for their introduction in 1912, although they were probably made since the 19th century.
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(help)Ever since the Brussels chocolatier Jean Neuhaus invented the praline 100 years ago, the city has been at the forefront of the chocolate business. ... They are breaking away from traditional pralines—which Belgians classify as any chocolate shell filled with a soft fondant center...