Royal Chocolates - Debauve et Gallais

When you think of exquisite chocolate you think of French products and when you think about exquisite French chocolate you think of Debauve et Gallais, the first master chocolatiers appointed by the Royal Court of France and the oldest French house of chocolate. The company’s history is as rich and tumultuous as its chocolate. With its grey and dark blue signature color boxes embossed with a golden coat of arms, they still look the part of a distinguished and long established business.

Sulpice Debauve founded the boutique in 1800 and, although he was not the first, he was the only one who would prevail after the arrival of the Industrial Revolution and the changes in the country’s power players. A former chemist under the tutelage of Louis XVI, he later became the appointed supplier of chocolates to the likes of Louis XVIII, Charles X and Louis-Philippe. Chocolate was introduced in France under its Castillian recipe in the early 1600’s, but Sulpice, the father of health chocolates, has taken it to another level. His little products were sold throughout pharmacies as well under various shapes: bars, pastilles and even armies made out of chocolate. His nephew, Auguste Gallais, a chemist and a scholar intrigued by cocoa and its virtues joined him in this endeavor soon after Sulpice opened the store in Rue des Saints Pères. They chose the motto "Utile dulci" (Useful sweets) a quote from Horatio, which they engraved on the front of the shop in 1819. This phrase encompassed their belief that chocolate had both health benefits and it was the tastiest treat. Auguste Debauve even wrote a book called "Monographie du cacao, ou Manuel de l'amateur de chocolate, ouvrage contenant la description, l'histoire, et la culture du cacaoyer" (A Monograph of the Cacao or the Textbook of the Chocolate Lover : work containing the description, the history and the culture of the Cacao Tree) in 1827.

In 1935 they launched the pralines line that became instantly a great hit with the fashionable masses and the connoisseurs. A year later they came out with the macaroons and a new line that was another instant hit. The glory of their business translated into branches opening in every large city across France. Writers like Anatole France, Arthur Rimbaud and Marcel Proust were devoted fans of the brand. However, their fame cooled down over the decades due to the turmoiled times of the World Wars and the emergence of the increased number of competitors. The company went through a revamping once Paule Cuvelier was appointed a CEO in 1989, which put it again on the international map of exquisite gourmet boutiques. The change consisted of an improved design which re-included the Bourbon crest and the introduction of new recipes that blend the old tradition with the more modern tastes.

The company attracts a following comprised of gourmets, chocolate lovers and connoisseurs around the world by encasing its bonbons in an impeccably designed box and by providing the finest chocolates. The chocolates not only look like fragile jewels or miniature statues, but they have intriguing names and they taste like heaven. Replying to Juliet’s plaint "What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet" I would say that indeed the bonbon would "Retain that dear perfection" whatever its name, but in this case, the appellation confers it a personality. For example, Diablotin which makes me think of mean chocolate [sic] has a wavy shape and contains hazelnuts, milk praline 72% cocoa dark chocolate and Gianduja rose. Perigord, one of France’s famous truffle counties, looks like a cracked walnut and it contains walnut paste, dark chocolate and it’s topped with a green walnut. Chataigne is a funny little thing shaped like a chestnut and containing chestnut paste flavored with Antilla Rum and 60% cocoa chocolate. Finally, another favorite is Coeur Cassis shaped like a heart and containing real blackcurrant pulp. The list is endless as I could say anything about any of those gems, but I think you got the point. Debauve et Gallais is still on top after all these years, which proves that quality will always stand the test of time.