Belgian chocolate has been a popular choice since the eighteenth century, but it started really catching on in the early part of the twentieth century. That’s because Jean Neuhaus create a special new type of process in 1912, using a special chocolate variety – couverteur – as a solid shell for what he referred to as pralines.

The Chocolate industry also forms an important part of the Belgian economy and culture. With over 2,000 chocolatiers in the country and 172,000 tonnes production each year.

What makes Belgian chocolate unique is the quality of ingredients and an almost fanatical adherence to Old World manufacturing techniques. Even in today’s world of automation and mass production, most of the chocolate is still made by hand in small shops using original equipment