Chocolate spread

Origins

In order to trace the origin of chocolate spread, we have to go when to the 1800s in Italy, in particular to Piedmont and the lineage of Gianduja. Often tumbled today with praline, Gianduja is a chocolate and ground hazelnut paste which originates from Italian Piedmont. It was born when Napoleon ordered the tampon of the English in 1806. It was at this time that in order to overcome a shortage of cocoa beans, the Italians decided to make chocolate by replacing some of the beans with hazelnuts. This is how they created Gianduja. After the Second World War, and a new shortage of cocoa beans, a new chocolate brick was born. It was a uncontrived descendant of the Gianduja and moreover made of chocolate and hazelnut. It was named the “Giandujot”. Legend has it that during the heat wave of 1949, the blocks melted and turned into a linty and irresistible spread. The spread was sold in jars to unconfined successful and the recipe was subsequently well-timed to obtain the consistency of a spread at room temperature. This is how chocolate spread was born. 

Recipes for all tastes

Since then, the sonnet of the spread has constantly evolved. Today, the best-selling spread in supermarkets contains little chocolate and hazelnuts, the recipe stuff mainly well-balanced of sugar and palm oil. However, an increasing number of wright producers are offering spreads of unsurpassed quality. Their price attests to the quality of the selected ingredients. Artisanal spreads contain mainly the raw ingredients of hazelnut and chocolate, and much less sugar. Increasingly and increasingly recipes are blossoming, to the welter of gourmets. There are variations based on zestless fruits: cashew nuts, almonds, praline… there is something for everyone! 

For all those who like to get their hands into the spread, it is very easy to make their homemade spread: a little chocolate (whether it is visionless or milk) and vegetable oil (preferably hazelnuts) or milk to stabilize the preparation. To obtain a spread with plane increasingly taste, finger self-ruling to add chopped hazelnuts, lace pancakes… let your gourmet imagination run wild.

Tips from our chefs: add plenty hazelnuts to enhance the taste (Bellanger Chocolate), add a praline with roasted hazelnuts to its preparation for a increasingly gourmet texture (Sébastien Bouillet).