Lead: Speaking of Belgium, the people will not help it with the "chocolate" link. The Belgian called "chocolate kingdom" is not an exaggeration. Whether chocolate varieties, yield, per capita consumption or innovation, it is definitely out in the world.
Belgian chocolate history
Today, we enjoy a delicious Belgian chocolate sweet, but world-renowned small candy production history was full of twists and turns, unlike its own so sweet. Historically, Belgium has usurped Congo into Africa for the Belgian cocoa and chocolate production industries Manor provides a great convenience. Cote d'Or is a famous Belgian chocolate brand, which was first produced in 1885. Many people have wondered why it is and some other brands of chocolate on the packaging printed with white elephants, it is because at that time, people use elephants transport cocoa beans through tropical jungles of Africa. Later, King Leopold II of Belgium seized the Congo, to turn it into a colony of Belgium, but also plundered the Congo rich cocoa industry. King Leopold II, who is also the planning of the 20th century's first genocide - nearly 10 million Congolese have died in the genocide.
distinctive Belgian chocolate
compared with other countries of chocolate, Belgian chocolate has two advantages: first, unique technology. There are more than 350 large and small Belgian chocolate manufacturers, many of them centuries old, and each has a "unique skills", such as Barry Callebaut chocolate company produces unique taste, delicate lubrication, it is because it holds a fine cocoa powder production process, and now has been part of this recipe super trade secrets.
Belgian chocolates Another advantage is variety, regardless of the many ancestral chocolate chocolate workshop or a large modern company, every family has flagship product, having more than 3000 kinds of flavors of Belgian chocolate to world class.
order to maintain the advantage in the industry, the Belgian chocolate maker various innovative efforts have never stopped. If the first is the one sandwich Chocolate Belgian chocolates businessman Jean Neuhaus invented, now named after him chocolate is the world's top brands. To comply with the diet trend, Barry Callebaut company also has developed a dental care, crude fiber, low sugar, low fat, and many other products, so that diners are no longer afraid of obesity reject chocolate. Just marked "Belgium made" chocolate are fine in quality, if the store appeared slightly worse quality chocolate, no exaggeration to say that the Belgians will embark on street protest marches.
Belgian chocolate brand Raiders
premium brand
1.Pierre Marcolini
1995 World Champion Pierre Marcolini bakers founded his own eponymous brand of chocolate. In just ten years, Pierre Marcolini chocolate has become a brand Louis Vuitton. His Grand Sablon in Brussels flagship store is also known as the Mecca of chocolate lovers.
Pierre Marcolini adhere to choose the finest cocoa ingredients to make chocolate. Every year he personally went to Africa, South America pick cocoa. Many times he would personally make chocolate. Now he has opened branches in London,gucci新款包型錄, New York, and Japan. There are four stores in Japan, actually, no wonder where Japanese customers is particularly high.
Marcolini in Mexico, Venezuela, Madagascar and other places carefully selected top cocoa beans, and dubbed GrandGru (wine industry and the origin of the top manor called Grand Gru). Grand Cru Series Tablet high cocoa content, taste and delicate, 80 grams a piece, the price of 4 Euro. There boxed Grands Grus, there are different areas of 30 small chocolates, box of 15 ohms. In addition, like Leonidas himself freely as you can combine different flavors of chocolate.
2.Wittamer
Wittamer is famous pastry is still yes. 1910 in Grand Sablon bakery are still open out. In 1965, the third generation of Wittmaer was involved in chocolate. In the Grand Sablon's while driving Wittamer cafes, pastry shops, chocolate shops, three facades.
3.Laurent Gerbaud
this brand, no mass production,gucci新款包型錄, no stores. Founder Laurent Gerbaud had worked for some time in 2001, back to Belgium after his own chocolate business. His chocolate combines many flavors of East Asia. Cocoa mainly from Madagascar and Ecuador. His chocolate shop in the city center, this find: AM Sweet, 4-6 Rue des Chartreux
4.Godiva
Godiva 1926 by founder Joseph Draps Belgians and the legendary Lady Godiva distinguished name. Always at the airport prior to Belgium to see Godiva store, but do not know is a Belgian brand. In fact, outside Belgium, Godiva is considered to be a more American brand.
1966 年 Godiva landed on the U.S. market in 1972 was the acquisition of American company Campbell Soup Company, a large part of Godiva is now produced in the U.S.. Earlier this year, Godiva also introduced a new packaging style.
Godiva Grand Place Grand Place in the stores are always bustling, a considerable portion of tourists that have been inside the shop Mandarin-speaking salesperson. Godiva in the Grand Sablon, Avenue Louise also has stores. Recently discovered Godiva factory Outlet, at Avenue de Jette 4 number (Metro station Simonis side, away from the Basilica close). But there is little variety, the price is only about 20% cheaper than outside.
5.Neuhaus
1857 年 aspiring Swiss immigrant Jean Neuhaus came to Brussels, from production to the invention pralines sugar cough, eventually becoming one of the most famous Belgian chocolate brand. Neuhaus is also the world's oldest chocolate factory with a box installed. Even the most famous Neuhaus chocolate sandwich, still accounted for 40% of sales.
Neuhaus factory in the outskirts of Brussels, with shops, Monopoly is about to expire, or IMPERFECT Neuhaus chocolate, the price is very low. Address: Postweg 2 (Avenue Joseph Wybran), 1602 Vlezenbeek. 1B Erasmus metro station to sit in the end
this year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the father of Tintin, Neuhaus introduced several printed pattern Tintin iron canned chocolate, but expensive, to 25 euro a box. Neuhaus also a Vice licensing Mondose.
mid-range brand
1.Galler
Galler This brand is Jean Galler was founded in 1976, at that time he was only 21 years old. Galler should go high-end line, but ordinary chocolate bars wrapped in the supermarket are selling something. His chocolate products are self into series, but with a number. For example Noir 85, that is containing 85% cocoa; Noir 70 is containing 70% cocoa.
Galler stores in Brussels only three, and only in the large square near the house better looking, but the facade is also very humble. Galler has been promoting chocolate with wine, this match is very rare.
2.Leonidas
stores in Brussels to the number of the largest chocolate brand Leonidas, but also popular with foreign tourists of all ages, mainly because of a variety of flavors of chocolate are beautifully displayed in the window, the customer can choose any combination of their own preferences.
said to all the world's Leonidas dealer is every 14 days imports of fresh air from Brussels chocolate, chocolate is produced in Brussels completed.
3.Cafe-Tasse
all the coffee shop in Belgium, even large restaurant, ordered a cup of coffee if so, will get a small chocolate or biscuits. In Belgian chocolates are considered the best junior coffee dessert. (And Galler chocolates in the effort to promote the concept with red wine.)
best chocolate with coffee when the number of Cafe-Tasse, which from the name in to see coming. Cafe-Tasse chocolate packaging plain and simple, and packed in a wooden box. Not many varieties, mostly a small square piece of a small square pieces. Flavor with dark chocolate and milk chocolate-based.
Cafe-Tasse is only one shop in Brussels, near the Grand Place. Is also a coffee shop, if you order a cup of coffee, as usual, will give you a Cafe-Tasse chocolates.
Volkswagen brand
1.Guylian
Guylian chocolate sea shells is the ancestor. But the brand's history is not long. Antwerp baker's son Guy Foubert and a woman named Liliane married, Guylian is a combination of two names. Guylian chocolate mall in the country are sold. In Belgium is mainly sold in the supermarket, inexpensive.
2.Cote D'Or
This is Belgium's most popular Volkswagen brand. 1883 Belgian Charles Neuhaus go to Africa Gold Coast Find chocolate cocoa beans, the trip not only allowed him to find his needs cocoa beans, also triggers his Coted'Or name his chocolate. (Cote d'Or at the time is now Ghana)
Although the United States has become the food giant Kraft (Kraft) one of its brands, but the trademark of the brand with the elephant so many years and not much changes. Cote d'Or variety, tablet, bar, praline sandwich and others have, cheap. Cote d'Or is the first one pair of each piece of chocolate inside the box are individually wrapped chocolate brand.
as the Volkswagen brand, it does not have its own stores,Belgian chocolate Chocolate Kingdom, there are basically only sold in the supermarket. Pee in a large square or some chocolate shops around children is also for sale, but the price is 50% higher than the supermarket.
I personally think that Cote d'Or buy the most suitable country to give as gifts, but there are not the brand, because they are inexpensive. For example, a box of 24 individually wrapped Mignonnettes small chocolate sold in two supermarkets in Europe a little more.
3.Jacques-Callebaut
Jacques Antoine Jacques by the Belgians in 1896 founded chocolate brand. 1982 by a company called Stollwerck acquisition. Stollwerck himself in 2002 by Barry-Callebaut acquired. The Barry-Callebaut company itself was founded by the 1850 Belgian chocolate company Cacao Barry Callebaut and the French company after the merger of the product (and now the new company is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland).
pushing companies in Belgium Callebaut Jacques brand. Other countries are using other brands too. Jacques has a 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Grand Cru is worth recommending. Thin black film, rich cocoa flavor, but not sweet. Is very popular in Belgium.
Incidentally founder Eugenius Callebaut Callebaut's fifth generation descendant of Bernard Callebaut in Canada, founded his own eponymous brand of chocolate-Bernard Callebaut.
roaming Belgian Chocolate Museum