A Look At Some Of The Most Famous French Chocolate Makers

French chocolate is one of the most popular types ofestablished.
confection in the world. It is used in many tasty treatsIn 1945, Maurice Bernachon opened the Bernachon
such as chocolate mousse and the ever popularChocolate Factory in Lyons, France when he was only
chocolate eclair. Chocolate truffles have long been26. He was trained in the art of chocolate making by
favored for their rich taste and texture and chocolatehis parents at the young age of 14. Today, 60 years
covered pralines were also made popular by thelater, the Bernachon factory is still famous for its
French. Chocolate was not just considered adelicious chocolate.
confection in France. It was also used for medicinalIn 1660, a Frenchman named Debauve was dubbed
purposes and reported to be beneficial with healththe first "Royal Chocolate Maker", by King Louis the
problems.14th of France after he had received a wedding gift of
You may be interested to know that the French had achocolate from his wife Marie Therese. In 1800,
hand in making chocolate famous in areas besidesapproximately a century and ½ later, one of his
France. During the mid 1800s, a Frenchman nameddescendents named Sulpice Debauve established a
Etienne Guittard was hoping to make his fortune in thechocolate shop in Paris.
California gold rush. He headed to the Barbary CoastHis chocolate was so revered that he was able to
where instead of mining for gold to make his living, heopen additional shops and had established 60 of them
ended up growing rich by selling chocolate. In 1686, heby 1804. He had a nephew named Antoine Gallais,
opened the Guittard Chocolate factory where it is stillwho partnered up with him in 1823 and the name of his
family owned and operated to this day.shops changed to Debauve and Gaillais. Continuing in
The first London chocolate store, then called athe tradition of his ancestor, Kings Louis XVIII and
chocolate house, was established by a Frenchman inCharles X appointed them the Official Chocolatiers of
1657. The name of the store was the Coffee Mill andthe French Court. Although Sulpice Debauve died in
Tobacco roll. The chocolate that was sold there was1836, his legacy still continues with the company he
so expensive that only wealthy patrons could affordfounded in 1804.
to purchase it.French chocolate has had a strong impact on history.
There are other very famous, French chocolateMany of the delicious chocolates that you enjoy today
makers that still have shops and factories that haveare due to the innovations of the French who took the
continued to be popular long after they weresimple cocoa bean and turned it into an entire industry.