Belgian chocolate (French: chocolat belge , Dutch: Chocolate Belgische ) is a chocolate produced in Belgium. A large industry since the 19th century, is now an important part of the nation's economy and culture.
While the raw materials used in the production of chocolate are not from Belgium, the country has a relationship with products dating from the early 17th century. The industry grew massively in the 19th century, gaining an international reputation and, along with Switzerland, became one of the most important producers of commodities in Europe. Although industry has been regulated by law since 1894, there is no universal standard for chocolates labeled "Belgium". The most commonly accepted standard states that actual chocolate production should be done in Belgium.
Video Belgian chocolate
History
The Belgian Association with chocolate returned as far back as 1635 when the country was under Spanish occupation shortly after chocolate was brought to Europe from Mesoamerica. By the mid-18th century, chocolate had become very popular among the middle and upper classes, especially in the form of hot chocolate. Among them was Charles-Alexander of Lorraine, the governor of the Austrian region. From the beginning of the 20th century, the country was able to import large quantities of chocolate from its colonies in Africa, Belgian Congo. Contrary to popular opinion, however, the Belgian colony does not play an important role in the foundations of the Belgian chocolate industry. In 1900, chocolate became more affordable for the Belgian working class. According to one study, Belgium first began exporting more chocolate than imported in the 1960s, with exports of "Belgian chocolate" growing exponentially since 1980.
Praline is the invention of the Belgian chocolate industry, such as ballotin , a kind of packaging associated with high quality chocolate.
Maps Belgian chocolate
Production and standards
Belgian chocolate composition has been regulated by law since 1894 when, to prevent the falsification of chocolate with low-quality fat from other sources, a minimum level of 35 percent of pure cocoa is charged. Attempts to introduce industry standardization have met with little success. Efforts by the European Economic Community (EEC) to introduce a minimum standard number of cocoa butter substitutes in Europe led to prolonged negotiations but the law finally came into effect, in 2003, seen as too soft in Belgium. In 2007, voluntary quality standards (of which 90% of chocolate makers in the country complied) were introduced by the EU that set certain criteria for products considered "Belgian chocolates". Under this Belgian "Belgian Code", refining, mixing and conquest must be done in Belgium.
Many companies produce chocolate by hand, which is exhausting and explains the prevalence of small and independent chocolate outlets, which are popular with tourists. The famous chocolate company strictly follows the traditional (and sometimes secret) recipe for their products.
Variety
Pralines
Pralines made in Belgium are usually soft-centered confections with chocolate casing. They are different from popular beans and sugar candy in France and the United States sometimes known by the same name. They were first introduced by Jean Neuhaus II in 1912.
There are always many shapes and forms: almost always containing a brown shell with a softer stuff. Confusion can arise over the use of the praline word in Belgium because it may refer to the chocolate that is filled in common or sometimes to the traditional chocolate-filled chocolate that is popular in Europe (pralinà ©  © refers to caramelized hazelnuts or almonds ground into pasta). Belgian praline is not limited to traditional filling and often includes nuts, marzipan, salted caramel, coffee, liquor, liqueur cream, cherry or chocolate mixture in contrast to its outermost shell. They are often sold in stylish boxes in the form of gift boxes. The biggest producers are Neuhaus, Godiva, Leonidas, and Guylian.
Truffle
Most often in the form of a scaly or smooth brown ball or traditionally a truffle-shaped blob, Belgian chocolate truffles are sometimes in the form of encrusted wafers or coated with high-quality cocoa powder. They contain a soft ganache that is traditionally a liquid semi-emulsion and therefore has several days of shelf life at low temperatures and/or requires cooling. Special truffles sometimes have fruit ganache, beans or coffee. Rarely do they have liqueur or fruit-based cream drinks but can still be distinguished from pralines by their shapes and textures in many cases - 'praline-truffles' crossovers also exist.
Eggs, animals and sculptures
Examples of luxurious and resolvable eggs, statues and hearts of Valentine's Day are made by many of the smaller Belgian chocolatiers, as elsewhere, account for a relatively small market share but at peak demand on Valentine's Day, Easter , Sinterklaas and Christmas.
Economy
Chocolate plays an important part in the economy of Belgium, and there are more than 2,000 chocolatiers in this country, both small and large. Today, chocolate is very popular in Belgium, with 172,000 tons produced each year, and is widely exported. CÃÆ'Â'te d'Or is probably the largest commercial brand, with its products available in almost every grocery store in the country. The largest producer of the wider chocolate varieties is mentioned in Pralines. Belgian pralines (cloves) are shaped like sea shells, fish, diamonds and individualist creations sold in downtown shops, market stalls, and many village shops in Belgium.
Belgian brands and chocolatiers
- Belcolade
- Belgian
- BenoÃÆ'®t Nihant
- Bouchard
- Bruyerre
- CafÃÆ' Â © -Tasse
- Callebaut
- Charlemagne
- CornÃÆ' Â © Port-Royal
- CÃÆ'Â'te d'Or
- Dandoy
- Daskalides
- Jean-Philippe Darcis
- Debailleul
- Defroidmont
- Dolfin
- Duval
- Galler
- General Chocolate
- Gerbaud
- Godiva
- Grand-Place
- Guylian
- Shaman
- Jacques
- Kwatta
- Leonidas
- Pierre Marcolini
- Mary
- Meurisse
- Mong Koo (Mong - Koo)
- Neuhaus
- NewTree
- Olivier Molitor
- PlanÃÆ'¨te Chocolat
- Veliche Gourmet
- Victoria
- Vranckoq
- Wittamer
- ZaabÃÆ'¤r
See also
- Swiss Chocolate
- Belgian cuisine
- Beer in Belgium
- Choco-Story - a museum in Bruges dedicated to chocolate
References
Bibliography
- Moss, Sarah; Badenoch, Alexander (2009). Chocolate: Global History (issue 1). London: Reaktion Book. ISBN: 978-1-86189-524-0.
- Garonne, Maria; et al. (2016). "From Praline to Multinational Company: History of Belgian Chocolate Economy". At Squicciarini, Mara P.; Swinnen, Johan. Chocolate Economy . Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-872644-9.
External links
- Inside Guides for Belgian Chocolate at Travel Hoppers
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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