All articles
The full notebook: pralines, chocolatiers, history, addresses and gift ideas, all in one place. 63 articles, updated every week.
Chocolatiers & housesGaller chocolate: prices, shops and a new owner
From a praline box at €128 a kilo to an outlet parcel at €22.50, prices recorded on every channel, plus April's Walloon takeover: an inquiry into Galler.
26 September 2026 · 10 min
Pralines & specialtiesDark chocolate benefits: only one is recognised
The European Union authorises a single health claim on cocoa: 200 mg of cocoa flavanols a day, provided by 10 g of high-flavanol dark chocolate.
21 September 2026 · 6 min
History of chocolateOrganic chocolate: how far the EU label really goes
The EU organic label certifies a farming method, not a price paid to the grower. Its exact scope, its three Belgian inspectors, and what it really costs.
20 September 2026 · 8 min
Pralines & specialtiesPolycarbonate chocolate mould: which one to buy
A polycarbonate chocolate mould costs 20.80 € at the Antwerp maker, contains BPA according to its own FAQ, and rescues no failed tempering at all.
19 September 2026 · 7 min
Where to buyPosting chocolate yourself or letting the house ship it
Posting a ballotin to London costs €37.20 with bpost, against €7 of shipping if Neuhaus sends it. Recorded rates, customs and the four exceptions.
18 September 2026 · 7 min
Pralines & specialtiesExpired chocolate: can you still eat it?
The date on chocolate is a best-before date, not a use-by date. How long it really lasts, how to check it, and the one chocolate that genuinely goes off.
15 September 2026 · 7 min
Gifts & ideasPersonalised corporate chocolate: how to order it
Card, sleeve, printed logo: three levels of personalisation, five Belgian houses compared, and the shipping calculation nobody bothers to run.
10 September 2026 · 7 min
Pralines & specialtiesPraliné, praline, pralin: three words, three products
Praliné is a paste of ground caramelised nuts, pralin is crunchy shards, and praline does not mean the same thing in Brussels as it does in Lyon.
9 September 2026 · 7 min
History of chocolateBelgian chocolate ballotin: why it was never patented
The Belgian ballotin was born at Neuhaus in 1915 and never patented. The story of that refusal, and why the box still costs you nothing today.
7 September 2026 · 8 min