The Belgian Chocolate History And Making
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Chocolate lovers everywhere appreciate quality. Good ingredients make good chocolate and Belgian chocolate has a reputation for being the best. This may have been the boast of the Swiss at one time, before the Belgians raced ahead. There is a long tradition of chocolate making in Belgium, which only needed a good marketing campaign to bring it to the attention of the rest of us. There are even chocolate museums there!
Belgian chocolate is unique in the world of chocolates and the standard of excellence against which all other chocolate candies are compared. Belgian chocolate products are unsurpassed in both the quality of ingredients used and methods of manufacturing. Almost all of these gourmet treats are still made by hand in small family owned shops.
The chocolate industry is an integral part of the Belgian culture, with an average of fifteen pounds consumed each year by every person in Belgium.
In 1912, the filled chocolate recipe known as the praline was invented in Belgium. The residents there have always been fond of exchanging chocolates as presents and they are very proud of the worldwide popularity of their export. The key to the high standard of Belgian chocolate lies in the selection of the best cocoa seeds and other ingredients. It’s apparent when inferior cocoa is used in any chocolate as it leaves an unpleasant after taste. Good chocolate always gives a rich, full flavor, which lingers in the mouth. The Belgian manufacturing process is done mainly by hand, including the final decoration.
A Swiss man named Jean Neuhaus is widely regarded as the “father” of Belgian chocolate making. In 1857, he emigrated to Belgium with his family, setting up his chocolate shop in Brussels.
This successful family business was handed down by generations, and Jean’s grandson, also named Jean became the creator of the first filled, bite-sized chocolate confection, which he named the praline (which is not the almond paste confection we know in the U.S.). These filled confections were so complex in flavor, few other chocolate makers of his day could replicate his unique creations.
Jean’s inventive wife created the ballotin, a special type of box used to hold the candies. Belgian chocolates are still sold in the ballotin today.
Belgian colonialization of the Congo in the late 1800’s brought the fine African cocoa to Belgium’s chocolatiers, contributing substantially to the quality and boosting the popularity of Belgian chocolate.
Today, there are many Belgian chocolate praline makers, including the famous Godiva, Leonidas and of course, Neuhaus.
Another technique which distinguishes Belgian chocolate making is the tempering process. While other chocolate makers obtain their chocolate as a solid, most Belgian companies receive their chocolate in heated trucks, fresh from the tempering process and still in liquid form. Because the chocolate does not require a second heating, much more of the fragrances are retained, making the finished product more complex and rich in flavor.
When the European Union, in 2000, ruled that as much as 5% of the cocoa butter found in chocolate could be replaced by other vegetable fats and still be labeled chocolate. Belgian chocolatiers went wild over this scandalous resolution. Shortly thereafter, Belgium’s Ministry of Economic Affairs created a special designation, AMBAO, to distinguish their chocolate from these inferior wannabees.
A visitor to Belgium can become well-educated on the Belgian chocolate production methods by visiting the Musée du Cacao et du Chocolat in Brussels. With over 2000 chocolate shops in the country, a visit to a few of these are a must for your itinerary. Just as vintners sponsor wine tastings, Belgian chocolate shops have chocolate tasting. If a trip to Belgium is not in your near future, just get on the net to find some of these renowned chocolate treasures.
The range of products is wide, with different center fillings in plain, milk and white chocolate. The attention to quality applies to the packaging too, and Belgian chocolate makes the ideal gift, all tied up in a ribbon. Fillings include liqueurs, fruit, caramel, buttercream, ganache and mocha. There is also nougat, whipped cream, ginger, almonds, coffee, cinnamon spice and rum. If you feel like experimenting with unusual flavors, there is coriander, lime or jasmine tea.
Chocolate can be taken in many forms and is gorgeous in chocolate mousse, cake and truffles. Belgian chocolate that is used in cooking will make everything taste better than normal. It’s also a good idea for chocolate fountains. This marvelous invention is all the rage for parties and receptions. They are the answer to a chocoholic’s prayer, with rivers of warm, liquid chocolate. The idea is to dip things like fruit and biscuits into the chocolate goo. Strawberries and bananas work very well, as do marshmallows and fudge. You can get Belgian chocolate refills for the fountain, so you never have to run out. You can even dismantle the fountain to put in the dishwasher.
Continental chocolate in general has much to teach the rest of the world. Some chocolate is overfilled with milk or sugar, preventing the full flavor of the cocoa to come through. The Aztecs knew the value of the cocoa bean and didn’t have any sugar to sweeten it.
The Belgian Chocolate History And Making
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