CHOCOLATE SELLER

1. A bit of history…
The Mayas were the first to cultivate cocoa trees in the 17th century BC. Considered a divine drink with health benefits and an aphrodisiac, cocoa beans were used as currency by the Aztecs and Mayans. In 1528, Hernan Cortes returned to Europe with several products yet unknown in Europe including tomatoes, potatoes, corn, tobacco and cocoa beans.
It wasn’t until 1615 that chocolate was noticed in France. This happened when Anne of Austria, the daughter of the King of Spain and wife of Louis XIII, arrived at the court with her obsession for chocolate that was soon transmitted to those around her. But it wasn’t until the death of Louis XIII, in 1643, that the Queen, now regent, imposed her taste for chocolate. Louis XIV allowed a chocolate-maker to open the first shop in Paris where a composition named “chocolate” could be sold.

2. The preparation of chocolate
From the bean to the couverture
Picked off the cocoa trees, the cocoa pods are opened and the cocoa beans, covered in mucilage, are removed. During the fermentation process, the mucilage comes loose and the aroma of the beans changes. Dried then roasted, the cocoa beans are then ground into a cocoa paste. The pressing of the cocoa paste is the next important step as it yields cocoa butter, which is the liquid part, whereas the solid part, the oilcake, is filtered to obtain cocoa powder. This oilcake, mixed with sugar and cocoa powder, is used to make the couverture.
The couverture is used by professional chocolate-makers to make coatings and ganaches. It’s a variety of superior chocolate that is less sweet and richer in cocoa paste than a usual chocolate bar.

3. The choice of a couverture
Our chocolates are 100% pure cocoa butter. We select only the finest couvetures.
Several factors are considered in this choice:

• European regulations authorize the addition of natural vegetable fats, such as colza oil or shea butter, up to a maximum of 5% in the fabrication of chocolate. This European directive tends to lower the price of chocolate; however, the French tradition insists on 100% pure cocoa butter, and as we are purists we cannot accept that chocolate contains other additives.
• The couvertures that we choose are composed of beans from various origins, though we prefer cocoa beans from South America, which are highly appreciated by connoisseurs. We also propose chocolates with beans from a single origin, such as the “Araguani” made with Venezuelan cocoa beans.

4. The artisan chocolate-making profession
Servant has been able to adapt to new developments while maintaining their traditional know-how. With practice, research and intuition, our chocolate-makers assure the creativity of our chocolates bonbons to create edible jewels. The artisan chocolate-making profession, like all other fine culinary professions, is based on a perfect knowledge of the product being prepared and the ability to predict the end result, its texture, its appearance and of course, its flavour. After a long apprenticeship, the artistic chocolate-maker never stops practicing, innovating and learning throughout the rest of his life.
Each one of the chocolate-maker’s recipes is personalised, and reworked over and over again until they have obtained a unique product in terms of colour, sheen, texture, preserving and taste. The artisan chocolate-maker must select the best quality ingredients in order to perpetuate this culinary art and to improve on it, subsequently offering incomparable flavours. Because chocolate is a fragile product, the chocolate-maker must also manage the storage time to maintain optimal aromas.

5. Fillings for our 50 chocolate bonbons: