MochaChocolate.com - French Chocolates

French Chocolates

The French are famous for many things. Maid outfits, quiche, crepes, wine, kissing and now, French chocolates. When you think chocolates, you usually don't think about French chocolates especially when thinking about European chocolates. Mostly we think of German chocolates, Belgian chocolates or Swiss chocolate when it comes to gourmet chocolates, but the French are making their mark with their French chocolates, and their French chocolates are sweeping the globe.

A Gift of French Chocolates

What gift could be more elegant than the gift of French chocolates? Oh sure, jewelry or perfume is nice for a woman, but for a true chocolate connoisseur, or just someone who appreciates gourmet food and counts it among the finer things in life, gift box of French chocolates is exquisite. Even better--if the person you're gifting likes to cook and bake, why not pair your gift of French chocolates with a book about French dessert making? Or just a hot novel that has a plot revolving around a factory that makes French chocolate truffles. We can suggest just such a read--Hot Chocolate.

Facts About French Chocolates

What makes French chocolates so special is that they must be made with at least 43% cocoa liquor. No animal or vegetable fat is allowed. (Perhaps that's why the French stay so thin, even after eating all that rich food!) A lot of French chocolate makers use up to 80% cocoa liquor, and since cocoa liquor is what gives it such a rich flavor. The more that's added, the richer the final product turns out to be. Another thing that determines the flavor of French chocolate is the part of the world where the beans come from. Some French chocolate makers use a combination of cocoa beans from four different regions--Venezuela, Brazil, the Ivory Coast and Madagascar.

If you ever have the chance to go to Paris, visit La Maison du Chocolate. This is probably one of the most famous chocolate makers in France, and its owner, takes the flavors that the beans can provide very seriously. He knows how to use the various combinations of beans to make different flavors, and he's been very successful with it.

So the next time you have a chocolate craving, have a French chocolate for rich flavor without all the guilt!