An Introduction to French Chocolate - Chocopedia - Cocoa Runners (2024)

FAQs

What is the most famous chocolate in France? ›

Valrhona Chocolate

This premium chocolate has been produced in the small village of Tain L'Hermitage, France since 1922. Albéric Guironnet, a pastry chef, founded the company with a commitment to creating beautifully complex yet balanced artisan chocolates.

Chocolate first came to France in 1615; it was a gift to the 14 year old King Louis XIII from his 14 year old wife to be – Anne of Austria. It was said the chocolate was placed in a chest as a gift of great value, as indeed it was.

The word in French for chocolate is chocolat. The spelling is almost exactly the same as in English, except in French there is no 'e' on the end. It is pronounced, 'show-ko-lah. ' This is a masculine noun, so if you'd like to refer to 'the chocolate,' be sure to use the masculine definite article: le chocolat.

It's here that the first cacao plants, the plant which chocolate is made from, were found. The Olmec, one of the earliest civilizations in Latin America, were the first to turn the cacao plant into chocolate. They drank an ancient chocolate drink during rituals and used it as medicine.

Chocolate – a delicious Bayonne tradition, an outstanding feature of the town and not be missed! Bayonne is the official chocolate capital of France not only for the quality of its dark chocolate but particularly for its history.

French chocolate is usually made with more cocoa butter than other chocolates making it richer, creamier, smoother, and long-lasting in its finish. It melts in your mouth and is a real treat for your taste buds.

Why Was Chocolate Kept a Secret for 100 Years? For nearly a century, chocolate remained a well-guarded secret among Spain's elite. During the competitive times of the Age of Exploration, the chocolate recipe was kept secret by Spain so they could maintain an edge in European politics and trade.

Chocolate history starts out around 1000BC in Latin America, where cacao trees grow wild. The first people to use chocolate were probably the Olmec of what is today southeast Mexico, and their word, “kakawa,” gave us our word “cacao.”

petit gâteau. (Translation of biscuit from the PASSWORD English-French Dictionary © 2014 K Dictionaries Ltd)

a chocolate cake un gâteau au chocolat.

What chocolate do French people eat? ›

In terms of taste, French chocolate is more intense and less sweet. The French are actually the 6th biggest consumers of chocolate in the world and are big fans of dark chocolate (30% of consumption, compared to 5% in Europe).

“A La Mère de famille” is probably the oldest chocolate confectioner in Paris. The store, located on 82 de la rue Montorgueil, is one of the “A La Mère de famille” confectioneries whose points of sale are exclusively Parisian. The historic store, founded in 1760, is located on 35 rue du Faubourg Montmartre.

Côte d'Or is a producer of Belgian chocolate, owned by Kraft Foods. Côte d'Or was founded in 1883 by Charles Neuhaus. He was a chocolate manufacturer who used the name Côte d'Or which was French for Gold Coast.

Ferrero Rocher^®, one of the most iconic brands of the Ferrero Group was created in 1982 in Alba, a small town in the hills of Piedmont in Italy. It was inspired by the desire to make all the pleasure of a sophisticated chocolate speciality accessible to a much wider public.