Belgian Pralines

One word, different sweets

Ask for a praline in Brussels and you get a filled chocolate. In France, praline usually means nuts coated in caramelised sugar, and in New Orleans it is a creamy pecan candy. The Belgian meaning dates from 1912.

Neuhaus and the first praline

Jean Neuhaus II, whose grandfather had opened a pharmacy in Brussels' Galerie de la Reine in 1857, began coating sweet fillings with chocolate in 1912 and called the result a praline. In 1915 his wife Louise Agostini designed the ballotin, a sturdy box that protected the delicate chocolates better than paper cones.

How pralines are made

Chocolatiers make pralines in two main ways. Moulded pralines start with tempered chocolate poured into a mould to form a shell, which is filled with ganache, caramel or praline paste and sealed with more chocolate. Enrobed pralines start with a firm filling cut into shapes, then coated with chocolate on a moving belt or by hand.

Popular fillings include hazelnut praline paste, fresh cream ganache, coffee and marzipan.

Belgian chocolate today

Belgium has thousands of chocolate shops, and brands such as Neuhaus, Godiva, Leonidas and many small artisans sell pralines around the world. Brussels and Bruges have chocolate museums and tasting tours. Pralines with fresh cream fillings are best eaten within a couple of weeks and kept cool.

How to choose and taste

Look for shops that make pralines on site and sell them loose, so you can choose a few to try. Fresh cream ganache fillings taste best within days, while nut-based praline fillings keep longer. Taste milder flavours before strong ones like coffee or liquor-free spice fillings, and let each piece warm slightly in your mouth before biting.

Did you know? Belgium protects the reputation of its chocolate with a voluntary code, and many makers proudly state that their chocolate is made in Belgium with 100 percent cocoa butter. Brussels' Grand Place area is lined with chocolate shops, making it an easy place for a tasting walk.

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