Chocolats Valrhona - chocophiles, Grands Crus de Chocolat Today, Valrhona is the ambassador of taste, recognised by professionals and lovers of the Grands Crus de Chocolat all over the world. Discover a palette of exceptional and intense flavours for a unique experience in the world of chocolate.

HOME

YOUR QUESTION CONCERNS
By Theme
All topics
Stages à l'ecole
Identifiants/mot de passe
Produits finis
Matières premières
Dégustation
Fabrication
Culture du cacao
Glossaire
GO TO CONTACT PAGE
Is chocolate an allergen product? Chocolate is not classified as an “allergen”. The list of allergens is fixed by community regulation and periodically reviewed.All allergen ingredients are systematically mentioned in our finished product ingredient lists.
What is gianduja made of? Hazelnut + sugar + cocoa beans + milk.
From what age does a tree start producing? Between the age of 3 and 5 years.
Does its production ever decrease? Yes, from the age of 30 years old
What does a cocoa tree look like? Very “untypical”: The trunks and the branches bear fruit, they can bear both flowers and fruit simultaneously which are at various stages of ripeness; they are “responsive” trees.
Where does a cocoa tree grow? On a plantation located under an already-existing forest or surrounded by thick vegetation.
How tall can a cocoa tree grow? Between 3 to 6 m (after pruning).
How long does a cocoa tree live for? Certain trees have been known to live for more than 80 years (San Juan Estate).
What colour is the pod when it is ripe and what colour are the beans contained within? When they reach maturity, pods change colour either from green to yellow, or from red to orange. The beans have different colours depending on their origin: Forastero beans are violet, Criollos beans are white and Porcelana beans are a creamy colour.
What’s the harvesting frequency? It’s variable depending on the season, with 1 passage/week during peak harvesting.
What is praliné made of? Dried fruit (dry matter and fat) + sugar + natural vanilla extract.
How is a filled Easter egg made? 1/ half-egg moulds are filled with chocolate. 2/ the mould is then turned over (reversed) to empty out the chocolate ⇒ the chocolate will then only remain on the inner surface of the mould. 3/ the mould is now cooled⇒ the chocolate produces a shell-shape.4/ the shell is now filled with filling (praliné, ganache, etc.). 5/ it is cooled once again to solidify the filling. 6/ the filling is covered with chocolate to seal the half-egg “shell”. 7/two half-egg moulds are now attached together to make a whole egg.
Where do Valrhona’s almonds and hazelnuts used in pralinés originate from? The almonds come from Spain and the hazelnuts from Italy.
Does Valrhona use GMO soya lecithin? VALRHONA is committed to banning the usage of any primary raw material integrating GMOs. Valrhona uses soya lecithin which is GMO-free: our suppliers commit themselves on extremely detailed specifications and confirm that no residual GMOs can be traced in the soya ADN. This is validated by accredited analysis (PCR method) on each batch used.Valrhona uses soya lecithin as an emulsifier in its chocolate making. Lecithin is used for obtaining: chocolate which is breakable, or smooth and melting, or crispy, and intense flavour liberation. Lecithin is an indispensable binder, used for stabilizing and fluidizing chocolate, to obtain a homogeneous product.
Does Valrhona make pure cocoa butter chocolate? Valrhona has committed itself from the very beginning to making exclusively “pure cocoa butter” chocolate. The chocolate is made traditionally from cocoa beans.Valrhona uses only cocoa butter as the vegetable fat for its chocolate making.
Does Valrhona use ionization processes? No, Valrhona does not use ionization processes for manufacturing its products.Irradiation (ionization) consists in exposing food to ionizing radiation (ionization process). This process is sometimes used to sterilize certain food products.
What is sugarbloom? The cocoa butter crystallizes and forms white spots on the surface of the chocolate. Household example: “melted chocolate bar hardened in the fridge”.
Why do you use milk powder to make milk chocolate? Water must not be added to chocolate, as we need to obtain a dry product. As milk contains water, and milk powder is a dry ingredient, we therefore use milk powder.
What is cocoa butter and what is it used for? It’s the fat found in the cocoa bean. It’s a natural texturizing agent which helps fluidify couverture chocolate.
How is cocoa butter made? Beans are selected for their butter content. The cocoa butter is extracted from the liqueur using a hydraulic press. The liqueur is pressed between 2 extremely high-pressure sieves. The cocoa butter will seep through the sieves and will leave a non-fatty cake: the butter cake.
What is a flavour precursor? It is a molecule that becomes a chocolate flavour during the chocolate making process (especially during roasting and conching).
Is the pulp eatable? In some countries, the local people eat the pulp and spit out the bean (similar to cherry stones).The pulp can be used to make jams, compotes and preserves.The pulp is sweet and acidulous with delicious fruity/floral flavours.