Neuhaus History Collection
The special box was a collection of stories about historical events caused by Neuhaus, a high-end Belgian chocolatier or related with them for over 150 year. It started with 1857 - "Jean Neuhaus, a Swiss pharmacist, moves to Brussels and openes a business in the prestigious Galerie de la Reine. Beside medication, he offers his customers refined confectionery, a passion which gradually absorbs him more and more. He combines the two products in a clever way, improving the somewhat sour taste of the medicines by covering them in delicious chocolate." For the event, the box offered a piece of chocolate per sheet - praline in dark chocolate composed of delicate ganache and caramel with a fine note of Flueur de Sel from Guérande, a medieval town of western France. The gem was named "Galerie" after the spectacular shopping gallery in the centre of Brussels.
Then, more stories with more pralines followed, including the birth of the first Belgian praline by Jean's grandson, Jean Neuhaus Jr. (1912), the inspiration that Jean Jr. gained from his daughter who was a famous mezzo-soprano in the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels (1942), and the creation of two revolutionary pralines, the "Caprice" and the "Tentation" for the occasion of the World Expo in Brussels (1958). The latest story was about the creation of an entire Cornet collection (2014) followed by the worldwide success of the praline Cornet Doré (1970), a golden cone filled with gianduja, a sweet smooth chocolate spread containing hazelnuts invented in Italy, where Jean's ancestors came from.
Not only the stories but also the box itself was luxurious. Octagon in charming light blue and gold. The box included two sheets. So J and I enjoyed each event with a dedicated praline. Every piece was unique, dramatic and fantastic! It was the most delightful time traveling I have experienced ever!
