Discover the Country Known as the “Chocolate Capital of the World”

Chocolate is a very delicious thing. It comes from the cocoa bean that hails from Mexico. You could do a lot of things with chocolate, from chocolate milk to chocolate bars to chocolate desserts. There are countries in the world that produce a lot of cocoa because it’s a very popular food. Once companies get ahold of those cocoa beans, they turn them into chocolate. Some countries produce amazing chocolate — from Switzerland to Belgium. But it’s Belgium that is the country that produces some of the most delicious chocolate in the world. Let’s take a look at the country known as the “Chocolate Capital of the World.” 

Why Is Belgium the Chocolate Capital of the World?

Chocolate has formed a major part of the country’s economy, but also culture, since the 19th century. Today there are more than 2,000 chocolatiers in Belgium. About 172,000 tons of chocolate are produced every single year and exported throughout the entire world. One of the largest chocolate brands is Côte d’Or and they’re available throughout the country and world.

There are many places that you can go to if you are a chocolate lover. Germany, Switzerland, and other countries are places to experience delicious chocolate. But Belgium has a history of making it, inventing certain types of chocolate, and creating a grand user experience. There are a myriad of chocolates you can find at Belgian chocolate shops — truffles, pralines, chocolate eggs, and more.

Belgian Chocolate History

When Spain controlled Belgium, they brought over chocolate from Latin America in the 1500s. Since then, chocolate production has existed in the country. It wasn’t until the 19th century that chocolate production boomed and became an important part of its national economy. 

The Swiss and Belgians had become the powerhouses of chocolate-making during the 1800s. Belgium had invaded, getting their chocolate mainly from several cocoa-producing regions around the world. Things changed when King Leopold of Belgium invaded the Congo in Africa in the mid-1880s and colonized the area, creating the Belgian Congo in 1908. They started getting their cocoa from there and the Belgian chocolate economy boomed.

Belgian chocolate is ground extremely fine and has a high cocoa content, which makes it unique from other chocolates around the world. According to law, in order for Belgian chocolate to be called Belgian, the chocolate must be refined, mixed, and conched inside Belgium.

Conclusion

And there you have it, Belgium is known as the “Chocolate Capital of the World.” They produce some of the finest chocolate you’ll ever try. The capital of Belgium even has a museum dedicated to chocolate. There are a myriad of chocolate shops in the city that would even make Willy Wonka envious. The next time you go to Belgium, visit Brugge, visit Brussels, and visit every chocolate shop you have the time to go to.