Belgian Chocolate
Belgium’s chocolate interest started in the 19th century when chocolate was being shipped from its latest colony, the Congo.
- Belgium invented the praline, a chocolate with a hard shell and soft center, in 1912. This was quite the development indeed, as previously fillings in chocolates couldn’t be too delicate. With a hard shell, chocolatiers had a wider range of creativity for their fillings.
- According to the Belgian Royal Association for the Chocolate, Praline, Biscuits and Sugar Confectionery Industry, there are no quality requirements to be called “Belgian chocolate”. The only criteria for Belgian chocolates is that they must be made in Belgium. However, this is not to say that Belgian chocolates are not quality! The Belgians want to make sure that other countries do not label their chocolates as Belgian if they are not made in that country.
- Belgian chocolates are typically hand-made as opposed to made with machinery.
- Some famous Belgian chocolate companies include Godiva, Côte d’Or, Neuhaus, Pierre Marcolini, Galler, and Leonidas.
Swiss Chocolate

- Lindt, Toblerone, and Nestlé are three of the most famous Swiss chocolate brands in the world.
- While the Swiss started making chocolate in the 17th century, the first mass-produced Swiss chocolate was made in 1819 in Vevey, Switzerland by François-Louis Cailler.
- Switzerland has the highest per capita rate of chocolate consumption in the world, at nearly 30 pounds every year.
- Chocosuisse is the name of an association of Swiss chocolate manufacturers. It counts most of the popular manufacturers of Swiss chocolate as members, including Lindt, Kraft, Callier, Chocolat Stella, Frey, and Camille Bloch.
- In a spirit of innovation, milk chocolate was invented in 1867 when Daniel Peter opened his own factory and added milk powder to his product.
Sources
Crowley, Laura. "New code to protect image of Belgian chocolate." Confectionery news.com, 15 March 2017, www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2008/08/14/New-code-to-protect-image-of-Belgian-chocolate. Accessed 13 February 2020.
Maverick, J.B. "The 4 Countries That Produce the Most Chocolate." Investopedia, 8 November 2019, www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/093015/4-countries-produce-most-chocolate.asp. Accessed 5 February 2020.
Menyes, Carolyn. "How Many Pounds of Chocolate Do Americans Buy for Valentine’s Day?" The Daily Meal, 5 February 2020, https://www.thedailymeal.com/holidays/chocolate-valentines-day-pounds/020520. Accessed 13 February 2020.
Mowbray, Sean. "A Brief History of Chocolate in Switzerland." Culture Trip, 12 February 2018, https://theculturetrip.com/europe/switzerland/articles/brief-history-chocolate-switzerland/. Accessed 5 February 2020.
Terenzi, Sharon. "TIME FOR YOU TO STOP BELIEVING THE LIES BEHIND “BELGIAN CHOCOLATES.” The Chocolate Journalist, 18 June 2017, thechocolatejournalist.com/belgian-chocolates/. Accessed 5 February 2020.
"The Bittersweet Effect of the New Cocoa Cartel" The Wall Street Journal, January 18-19, 2020
Images
Header: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Pralines_cut.jpg, via Wikimedia Commons Map: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_Congo#/media/File:Map-belgian-congo.jpg, via Wikimedia Commons Swiss poster: bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0000824751/v0001.simple.selectedTab=record, via Ville de Paris, BHVP

Natalie Collet
Former Membership Manager
From the Midwest, Natalie is a Francophile at heart. Her interest in French started when studying ballet and the language and culture entranced her through her student years. She became involved with the - Alliance - in the suburbs of Chicago after she spent an unforgettable year teaching English in a French high school near Bordeaux. She is happy to join the team in Boston and work with the members to provide them with unique opportunities, quality programming, and a community through French!