Experts say that the world’s top-quality chocolate is basically produced in three countries: Belgium, France, and Switzerland. They go on to explain why those chocolate bars are the best and then choose their favorite brand from each country, the ones they consider to have the best flavor.
What makes Belgian chocolate so special?
Using avant-garde technology to process the best cocoa produces an unparalleled chocolate mixture
Experts’ favorite brand
Pierre Marcolini
The reason for their choice
The cocoa beans used in this chocolate are imported from farms that are recognized for producing the best cocoa beans in the world, which imparts an exquisite flavor
What makes French chocolate so special?
The use of the largest variety of original and top-quality flavors
Experts’ favorite brand
La Maison du Chocolat
The reason for their choice
The chocolate mixture is produced exclusively with cocoa butter. By not using any other type of fat, the chocolate is superior in taste - perfectly melting in the mouth
What makes Swiss chocolate so special?
The quality of the milk used to produce their chocolate is superior than that of other countries
Experts’ favorite brand
Lindt
The reason for their choice
Despite being produced on an industrial scale, this chocolate has a perfect balance between the flavors of cocoa and milk
What do the world’s top-quality chocolates have in common?
1. They are produced with only the best cocoa beans, coming from countries such as Ecuador, São Tomé, and Príncipe.
2. Cocoa accounts for 70% of the recipe. In lower-quality chocolate bars, the mixture contains mostly fat, such as hydrogenated fat, coconut oil, and palm oil.
3. Creativity prevails. They use novel textures and exquisite fillings to create a gourmet taste.
Because of the nature of cocoa butter, chocolate must be tempered or precrystallized. Tempering is a controlled crystallization process. The primary purpose is to form stable crystals in the cocoa butter, which allows the chocolate to quickly harden in the mold and makes it easier to be removed from it. It also provides an excellent sheen, texture, and flavor to the chocolate.
Chocomachine offers accurate and correct temperature variations, achieving an optimal sheen to the chocolate and ensuring perfect product quality.
The history of chocolate can be traced to the ancient Aztec civilization. The Aztecs worshiped the god Quetzalcoalt; who, among other things, gave then cocoa. Chocolate cups were, at the time, called ‘tchocolath’.
In 60 b.c., the Mayans created the first cocoa plantations, which greatly improved their economy at harvest times. In Aztec and Maia civilizations, only the nobles could consume chocolate. The Incas, however, produced enough cocoa to supply their entire population. At the time, the pulp was used for food and the seed was used as change during economic trading.
In 1502, when Columbus arrived in the Americas, the Aztecs gave him cocoa and chocolate, but he did not realize its importance. In 1519, when Hernando Cortez came to conquer Mexico, the Aztecs received him cordially; they thought he was the reincarnation of Quetzalcoalt. He took special note of the "tchocolath", which was bitter and spiced with vanilla and honey. The Aztecs also added peppers and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Cortez, admiring the spirituality of the fruit and intent on increasing the wealth of his country, started a plantation in Spain. To soften the bitter taste, they sweetened it with honey. With the knowledge acquired by the Aztecs, chocolate soon took hold of the royal family and it remained a secret in the Spanish court for decades.
At the beginning of the XVI century, chocolate was brought from Spain to Italy, and from there quickly spread to France. When the Spanish could no longer sustain the chocolate demand using Mexican and Guatemalan plantations, they started planting on Venezuela who in turn became the main supplier.
CThe industrial revolution made chocolate accessible to all people; and its production was perfected by the Dutch and the Swiss, who obtained the powder and fat separated from one another.
During the second half of the XX century, chocolate began to vary in relation to local cultures and custom. Cocoa came to Brazil in the XVIII century, and quickly became one of the largest suppliers in the world, due largely in part to plagues decreasing the production of other countries. However, by 2004, Brazil had fallen to the fifth place, harvesting about 16 tons annually.
