A Sweet Pilgrimage: Journeying Through Belgium’s World of Chocolate
- Food Blogger Journey
- Aug 1
- 5 min read
By Dirk Ebener
• Discover the deep history behind Belgium’s rise as the world’s chocolate capital, from royal edicts to praline perfection.
• Walk the cobblestone streets of Brussels, Bruges, and beyond, sampling iconic Belgian chocolates from master chocolatiers like Neuhaus and Pierre Marcolini.
• Learn why Belgian chocolate remains the gold standard for purity, craftsmanship, and indulgent experience.
A Personal Introduction: My Belgian Chocolate Story
I was just sixteen when I traveled to Belgium to explore the famous world of Belgian chocolate. I had done extensive research on traveling to Belgium, trying to find a hotel in the city center, but I had minimal experience with hotel selection. I had worked hard to save up for my trip, and so I decided to spend the weekend at the Marivaux Hotel in Brussels. Converted in the 1920s from the former Théâtre/Cinéma Marivaux, the landmark hotel offered a nostalgic charm in a great location. Needless to say, the front desk manager was somewhat surprised when I requested to check-in. It all worked out after a call to my parents, who proudly confirmed my travel and financial independence.
The cloudy skies above Brussels seemed determined to open and pour rain all over the beautiful old streets and century-old houses. The warmth radiating from every corner chocolate shop more than made up for the chill. I had long dreamed of this visit. Growing up, chocolate was my family’s way of marking life’s moments. Birthdays, holidays, and quiet evenings when we needed a slight sweetness to remind us of life’s joys.
But Belgian chocolate? That was mythic. My parents spoke of their travels through Europe and the carefully rationed boxes of pralines tucked away like a treasure. I still remember the first time they let me try a single, delicate chocolate—bittersweet, filled with soft hazelnut cream. It melted so slowly that I was certain magic had to be involved.
So here I was, decades later, standing in the Grand Place, the scent of chocolate mingling with the aroma of fresh waffles and roasted coffee. My mission was simple: to taste, to learn, and to understand why Belgium, above all, has become synonymous with the world’s finest chocolate.
On that first day, I wandered from chocolatier to chocolatier, Pierre Marcolini, Leonidas, Neuhaus, each one a temple to cocoa, each box a portal to craftsmanship that stretched back centuries. By the second day, I had learned that in Belgium, chocolate is not just candy. It is heritage. It is artistry. It is identity. And in sharing that identity with each bite, Belgium sweetens the world, one praline at a time.
The Story of Belgian Chocolate: A History Layered in Sweetness
Belgium’s reputation as a chocolate powerhouse dates back to the 17th century, when cocoa arrived in Europe from the Americas. While Spain, Italy, and France all staked early claims, Belgium quietly began refining its chocolate craft. By the 19th century, Belgian chocolatiers had already gained a reputation for transforming raw cocoa into refined, velvety delights.
One pivotal moment occurred in 1912, when Jean Neuhaus Jr., a Brussels pharmacist-turned-chocolatier, invented the praline. This filled chocolate shell elevated the chocolate experience from a simple bar to a luxurious bonbon. His family’s store, Neuhaus, still stands in the opulent Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert arcade in Brussels today. Inside, you’ll find elegant counters brimming with pralines nestled in gold boxes, ready to be hand-tied with satin ribbon.
The Belgians did not stop at invention—they also perfected regulation. In 1884, the government passed strict laws requiring chocolate made in Belgium to contain a minimum percentage of pure cocoa butter, thereby prohibiting the use of cheap fats or fillers. To this day, Belgian chocolate must meet these exacting standards, which is why its texture is famously silky and its flavor so richly layered.
A Walk Through Belgium’s Chocolate Capitals
No chocolate pilgrimage is complete without losing yourself in Brussels’ cobblestone lanes, where chocolate boutiques cluster like gemstones. Step inside Pierre Marcolini’s sleek atelier, and you’ll discover chocolates that are as much art as a confection, small, square morsels filled with exotic ganaches and single-origin cocoa that whisper of faraway plantations.
Venture next to Bruges, a medieval fairy tale of canals and swans. The town’s chocolate shops, like The Chocolate Line by Dominique Persoone, are bold, playful, and sometimes wildly experimental. Here, you might sample chocolates spiced with ginger, infused with sake, or dusted with real gold leaf.
In Ghent and Antwerp, you will find boutiques, both classic and avant-garde. Belvas is renowned for its organic, fair-trade confections, while Chocolatier Goossens preserves the traditional methods with handcrafted molds and hand-painted finishes. Every city brings a new twist on the same pure promise: the finest cocoa transformed with Belgian devotion.
Iconic Flavors: What Chocolate Is Belgium Most Famous For?
Ask any chocolate lover, and they’ll tell you the praline is Belgium’s crowning jewel. Smooth, crisp on the outside, and meltingly soft inside, pralines can hold anything from silky hazelnut paste to raspberry coulis or fine liqueur. Neuhaus still reigns as the birthplace of this decadent invention, but Leonidas makes it accessible to all, offering pralines at every train station and corner shop.
Then there’s Côte d’Or, whose robust chocolate bars are a staple in Belgian households. Founded in 1883, the brand’s iconic elephant logo nods to its early supply routes through Africa, where some of the world’s finest cocoa is still sourced.
And, of course, no mention of Belgian chocolate is complete without Godiva. Though now a global brand, its roots run deep in Brussels, where in 1926, Joseph Draps opened his first boutique, naming it after Lady Godiva—a symbol of luxury and indulgence.
A Taste of Culture: Chocolate Beyond the Shop Window
Belgian chocolate is an integral part of daily life. Locals gift pralines to mark birthdays, business deals, and reunions. Many families keep boxes tucked away for unexpected guests, as in Belgium, sharing chocolate is a way of showing comfort.
Every spring, Brussels hosts Salon du Chocolat, a festival dedicated entirely to cocoa. Here, master chocolatiers mingle with wide-eyed visitors, demonstrating tempering techniques, unveiling new flavors, and serving up steaming cups of hot chocolate so rich it borders on dessert.
Leaving with Sweet Memories
On my last morning in Belgium, I sat in a tiny café just off the Grand Place, savoring a single dark chocolate truffle and watching the city wake up. I thought about the centuries of craft that went into that small, perfect bite. I thought about my grandmother and parents, and their secret stash’s of pralines. And I thought about how chocolate, more than any other food, seems to hold our memories—bittersweet, melting slowly, reminding us that life’s small pleasures often taste the sweetest.
When you go—and you must—pack light but bring back plenty. Let your suitcase carry home pralines and truffles, but more importantly, carry home the story: that a simple cocoa bean, carefully grown and masterfully crafted, can connect you to a place where tradition and sweetness still hold hands on every cobblestone street.
So here is to Belgium: the world’s chocolate heart—still beating, still sweetening our days, one praline at a time.
Dirk Ebener is the founder and creator behind the Food Blogger Journey website, drawing on over 40 years of international travel across more than 60 countries. His global adventures have deepened his understanding of regional cuisines, local customs, and the powerful connection between food and culture. From bustling street markets in Asia to quiet vineyard dinners in Europe, Dirk captures authentic culinary experiences through immersive storytelling. Through Food Blogger Journey, he invites readers to explore the world one dish at a time.
© 2025 Food Blogger Journey. All rights reserved. The experiences, opinions, and photos this blog shares are based on personal travel and culinary exploration. Reproduction or distribution of content without written permission is prohibited.
Follow the journey on Instagram @FoodBloggerJourneys
Interesting Hashtags
Comments