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Belgium Chocolate

Submitted by Nick on February 7, 2011

Belgium Chocolate

Chocolate is often called the food of the gods. It is primarily made from cacao beans. Today along with cacao beans, it has sugar, milk and dairy fats along with flavoring that makes up chocolate. As a drink, chocolate has been around for three centuries and is had with spices. Drinking chocolate has been a preferred drink in many South American civilizations.

Aztecs have been known to drink chocolate in the form of a bitter drink. Aztecs have also been known to use cacao beans for currency. South and Central America uses a lot of chocolate in its daily cooking.

Today the best chocolatiers are in Europe with Switzerland and Belgium reputed to have the best chocolate makers in the world. The chocolate out of these countries has big followers and there is a reason why the chocolate from this region is the best. The fact is that Belgian chocolate is the best quality due to its adherence to manufacturing quality of chocolate. Chocolate from Belgium is known to be rich and superior in flavor. That is so because Belgian chocolatiers are still determinedly making chocolate by hand.

Belgian chocolate makers have been making chocolate by hand for the last 100 odd years. Despite the automation of the process making chocolate worldwide, the Belgians still make the chocolate by hand.

Belgium started making chocolate under the reign of Leopald II. The Belgian king has access to Africa and its cocoa.

That was the source of the Belgian chocolate. The Belgians borrowed chocolate making technique from their neighbors, the Swiss. The Belgians started creating unique chocolates with nuts in a rich quality chocolate. Chocolate from Belgium introduced the world to praline and called Ballotin.

The chocolate from Belgium makes great gifts and is a preferred ingredient for cakes and recipes. Belgium was responsible for introducing the world to couverture. Couverture is basically high quality chocolate which helps the chocolate to give a good snap. This type of chocolate was invented by the Belgian Jean Neuhaus in the early 20th century. That’s what makes the Belgian praline so tasty.

Belgian chocolate makes great gifts and is available in gourmet packets. Chocolate cake made with Belgian chocolate is a very decadent and rich cake that is replete with delicious Belgian chocolate.

To make a Belgian chocolate cake, you need:

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate:
• ¾ cup butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2/3 cups flour

First, melt the chocolate on a double boiler and cool. In another bowl, fluff the butter and sugar. Beat in the melted chocolate and then the eggs. Sift the flour over this mixture. Bake in a prepared tin till the cake is done, for about 45 minutes to one hour.