French Chocolatier: All about Chocolates from France

There are some delicacies and tastes around the world that make everyone ooze over them. Some ingredients are there that one can use in preparing every kind of meal. One such taste is that of chocolates. Cocoa is the main ingredient of chocolate which is both tasty as well as healthy. Different countries make different flavours and textures of chocolates. The amount of cocoa used in chocolate with other ingredients makes the taste. Among the countries, the world-famous chocolate is from France. You can choose to send chocolates online to your loved one. In this article, we will discuss everything about French Chocolate.

History of French Chocolate

The first time chocolate came to France is 1615. It was a beautiful gift to the 14-year-old King Louis XIII. And the gift was from his 14-year-old wife from Austria, Anne. The chocolate was presented in a chest just as a valuable thing. But chocolate in those days was a symbol of the bourgeoisie and nobility. It was expensive; hence not everyone could taste and afford it. In those days, people had chocolate in liquid form. They used to blend them with flavours of chilli, vanilla, and other spices. Anne of Austria started the trend of enjoying a hot cup of chocolate at first.

The Origins of French Chocolate

The French chocolate has a twist in its name. The first origin of chocolate is not from France but Spain and Mexico. The first exposure to chocolate took place back in the 16th century. Christopher Columbus first brought the cocoa beans from America to Spain. He was on a world tour then. Spain has kept it secret for almost a decade. Later, it started becoming famous in Germany, England, France, and the Netherlands. It was an aphrodisiac for the nobility in those days. Not just it was expensive, it was a moderate stimulatory as well as a recreational drug. Online chocolate delivery to France is a new phenomenon. But it has been present from the time of Columbus minus the online.

Past & Present about French Chocolate

Now, the best chocolates are Swiss and Belgian. But the French are also a very special competitor. They create as well as know-how to make as well as enjoy chocolates in diverse ways. Devauve & Gallais was the first chocolate shop in Paris in the 1800s.

From the 19th century, chocolate became a professional’s choice of product. It was Coenraad Johannes van Houton who first separated butter from the cocoa beans. Swiss personnel Daniel Peter first started making milk chocolate. But powdered milk was first introduced by the world-famous Henri Nestle. Later on, Rodolphe Lindt made chocolate conching introducing the idea of fondant. The French used to bring chocolate in food form from Belgium. Later in 1998, the French has invented the Académie Française du Chocolat et de la Confiserie.

These days, talented chefs make various delicacies using chocolate in different forms very similar to Bouquets as Cookie Bouquets. Presenting gifts in the form of Cookie Bouquets for Your French Friends is one of the recent trend which French love to have.

These days, talented chefs make various delicacies using chocolate in different forms. In Paris, one can find delicious indigenous chocolate shops at every corner. The best gift of French chocolate to the world is their combination of cocoa with pastries. Famous pastries are like pain eu Chocolat and chocolate éclair. It is very common these days to buy birthday chocolates online. But only very few people know about the history of this famous delicacy.

Fun Facts about French Chocolate

Chocolate is an entertainer. It is not just a tasty delight for everyone irrespective of age. It is full of surprises. Here are some of the most uncommon and hidden fun facts about French chocolates.

A) What are Chocolates?

i) To produce one pound of chocolate, one needs around 400 beans.

ii) Surprisingly, one cocoa plant produces 2500 cocoa beans on an average in its lifetime.

iii) The cocoa tree that produces cocoa for chocolate is Theobroma Cacao. It means ‘the food of God’.

iv) To your utter surprise, cocoa is a fruit tree and chocolate is a product of the seed.

v) The cacao trees are very delicate. Hence almost 30% of the cocoa tree gets destroyed due to adverse circumstances.

 

B) The Origin:

i) A huge amount of cocoa comes from Africa. Almost 1.5 million cocoa firms are present in West Africa. This is almost 70% of cocoa. Each farm stretches from 7 acres and 10 acres in West Africa.

ii) Some of the cacao trees are older than two centuries. But, they produce the best quality beans for the first 25 years of their lives.

iii) Rudolph Lindt first invented the conching machine. It was able to produce conch shell-shaped chocolate.

iv) The largest cocoa producing company makes more than 40% of the cocoa in Cote d’Ivoire.

v) With the integrated help from some foundations and government, the farmers are being able to earn 20% to 55% extra from their production.

 

C) Who depends on it?

i) In each cocoa productive family, there are on average eight members.

ii) Around the world, a large part of the population earns their living from cocoa production. The amount is between 40 million to 50 million.

iii) To enhance cocoa production, the farm members cultivate different fruits like bananas.

iv) The cocoa-producing farms in Indonesia create a giant statue of hands holding the cocoa beans. It is their ritualistic symbol.

v) Cocoa was very valuable- Spanish royalty used to give cocoa beans as dowry. Mesoamericans used cocoa beans as currency. The popular Aztec empire Montezuma used to consume 50 cups of cacao as well.

 

D) Savor it:

i) To make a single serving chocolate bar takes two to four days.

ii) Chocolate has been a very popular pair with hard drinks. But, Champagne and sparkling wine are too acidic to pair with milk chocolate.

iii) The French celebrate April Fool’s day with fish-shaped chocolate. “Poisson d’Avril” is all we call it.

iv) The weight of the cocoa beans in chocolate is determined by the cacao percentage.

v) Chocolate contains two different doses of cocoa butter. The first comes from the natural amount of cocoa beans. And the second comes from an extra dollop to enhance the creaminess.

 

E) Health Benefits:

i) There has been researching that proved that chocolate is a part of a balanced and healthy diet plan.

ii) There is one type of major saturated fat that does not enhance the cholesterol in the body. Hence the concept that consuming chocolates makes a person fat is a partial myth.

iii) The amount of caffeine present as a decaf cup of coffee is equal to one cup of milk chocolate serving.

iv) Dark chocolate contains a higher amount of cacao but it is very good for the heart.

v) Also, consuming chocolates after dinner relaxes the mental stress. It also helps to get a good night’s sound sleep.

 

F) Most Popular Chocolates in France

Here is a list of the most famous chocolates from France.

Jean-Paul Hevin

When it comes to the French Pastries, just close your eyes and go to Jean-Paul Hevin. The chef himself has given the name after him. He has 6 chocolate shops in the city of love, Paris. They stretch from Luxembourg to Vendome and the Marais to Invalides. His chocolate bars taste the best as they contain the finest Grand Crux collection beans. As an external essence, there are flavours of spices, nuts, and coffee. These are colourful dark chocolate cubes available in different colours. The truffles so are fragrant and crispy. This French chocolatier sells the best chocolates in Paris.

À La A Mere de Famille

This is a family brand selling indigenous chocolates for centuries. It was the city’s 9th oldest chocolate shop in the world. This family is a little fond of oranges. The wrappers are all orange in colour. There are chocolates where one can taste the hidden orange extracts. One such candy is duo d’orangettes. It is both sugar-coated dark chocolate with orange peel seasonings. Besides, there are truffles, Florentine biscuits are famous as well. One can choose to buy popular French chocolate brands from here. Ice cream and other candies are also available here with cake and caramel as well.

Patrick Roger

One of the most popular porch chocolate shops in Paris is Patrick Roger. It has 7 outlet shops, each of them is very popular. The best chocolates from this house are- assorted boxes of ganache, pralines, hemispheres. There are Amazone (flavoured chocolates), Rafale (raisin, vinegar, caramel), and Mistral (salted buttered caramel with honey) as well. The Connoisseurs are available here with amazing taste. They contain a higher amount of cacao (65%-100%). For the seasoning of the chocolates, one uses different floral and mineral flavours. These special ingredients get imported from Cuba, Tanzania, Brazil, and more. One can get the best French chocolate online at the most affordable price.

Jacques Genin

There is a common saying when you go to Paris. The speciality of Genin is the décor of their chocolate products. The chocolates are of jewellery pattern, flavoured grapefruit, Sichuan pepper, and coriander. Besides, there are tasty jellied vegetables, nougats, caramel, fruit candies, and more. It is one of the most popular French chocolate brands around the world.

Henri Le Roux

This person is the most famous in France when it comes to the name of chocolates. Henri le Roux was first devoted to preparing ice-creams and chocolates. He was a pastry cook first; later on, he became the world-famous caramelier. From 1977, they have been the sole factory producing the best caramel chocolates. It has been around 45 years and they are still the best when it comes to catering classic and delicious cake ideas.

G) The Future of Chocolate

The future of chocolate is a very interesting thing to know about. Every year, Paris arranges the festival of Sense and Chocolate. It is to celebrate the essence. And it also aims to educate the people about sustainability. The quality of raw materials, and the production of choco production around the world. The popularity of chocolate is on a constant rise. From 2012, the consumption curve around the world has gone significantly higher.

Chocolate pioneers like Italy, France, Belgium have opposed the other country’s chocolates. They were claiming the impurity of the chocolates. Later the British were permitted to export chocolates to France, Italy, and Belgium. Hence we can say that there is an over the popularity of blended chocolates. The popularity of pure chocolates is declining. To keep being active in the competition, French people are enhancing their business. They are manufacturing products with these changed and blended textures of chocolates.

With the enhancing technology, it is possible to deliver chocolates around the world. All chocolate companies are creating innovative websites and online shops. They aim to keep all the people around the world updated. They write their history, new launch, discounts, and offers on the site.

This has made online shopping for chocolates easier. Now people can order gifts online to send chocolates from anywhere around the world. It has made chocolate’s future secure. People can shift their choice of chocolates with time. But their love for chocolate is never-ending.

Above is a discussion about chocolate in France. You will also know the history, origin, present, the famous pioneers of chocolate. The famous varieties and the future of chocolate are also one would find interesting here.