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To understand what a Praliné is, we must first look at the vocabulary around this word. There are indeed 3 very similar words and yet, not to be confused : the Praline, the Pralin and the Praliné. “Praline” is a confection made from roasted almonds coated with caramelized sugar and eventually food color (i.e: Praline Rose from Lyon) “Pralin” is made from roasted, caramelized and ground almonds and hazelnuts. It’s in powder form and can be used in baking. It’s a step before praliné paste. “Praliné paste” is derived from pralin. After another fine grinding to smoth the powder into...

Today, more and more labels appear on chocolate packaging: vegan, organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, or fair-trade. This positive trend means that both consumers and chocolate companies have become aware of the necessity to protect our health, and our planet. However, have you ever heard about the soy-free label? What does it mean? Why some chocolate makers choose not to use soy in their creations and why some others do? Cluizel’s team will answer this question. I – What is soy-lecithin? When we speak about soy in food, we mean soy-lecithin, more precisely. Soy lecithin is one of the most common food...

Have you ever tasted a Single Origin Chocolate? If not, it's not unusual, because most chocolate companies are using blends – cocoa beans coming from different regions of the world - to standardize the taste and control the final result of their creations. However, if you prefer enjoying chocolate as you enjoy a glass of wine, identifying the different aromas and flavors, Single Estate chocolate is the perfect choice. But what are they exactly? Which is best? Cluizel’s team will answer these questions in the following article. I – What is Single Origin chocolate? The term single-origin chocolate seems to be...

According to a study of Euromonitor in 2017, the Europeans are the biggest consumers of chocolate in the world, leaded by the Swiss, (19 lb/person/year) the Austrians (18 lb/person/year), and the Germans (17 lb/person/year). Despite all the brands in the USA offering products with chocolate, our country only holds the 10th place, with 10 lb/person/year, just before the French with 9 lb/person/year. However, has you must know, cocoa is not grown in these countries, but in countries where the climate is more favorable and where cocoa has become a real source of development since the 20th century. In this article,...

 I - The history of the cocoa tree Nobody knows exactly when the cocoa tree, also named “Theobroma cocoa”, was discovered. Scientists say that it could be millions of years old. However, we know that the Olmecs first discovered the gustatory properties of its fruit by seeing rodents eating it vigorously. After that, they decided to consume it in the form of a drink, by crushing the cocoa beans, mixing them with water and spices, chilies, and herbs. The Mayans and the Aztecs then followed this tradition and decided to cultivate the ‘food of the gods’, a symbol of wealth...