Few things delight chocolate lovers more than biting into a delicious truffle. The name "truffle" has come to mean different things in different countries, but all of them have a delicious ganache at the center.
The Beginning
The chocolate truffle got its start in France in 1895. Pastry chef Louis Dufour combined chocolate and cream in very specific ratios to create the delicious creamy center called ganache. He then rolled the ganache into balls and dusted them with cocoa powder. The shape of the final product reminded people of the mushrooms that grow underground, and the name "truffle" stuck.
Antoine Dufour, a relative of the creator, is credited with the truffle crossing borders to become the international delight it remains today. He took the recipe to England in 1902 and opened a chocolate shop that remains to this day. This London shop was just the beginning, as other stores around the country soon also started offering truffles. While they were originally for the rich only due to the cost of importing cocoa beans, as the price of ingredients dropped the truffle became known to the masses.
When is a Truffle a Truffle?
Whether a particular chocolate is a truffle depends on who you ask. For some, it only matters that the candy have a ganache center, as it was this combination of chocolate and cream that made truffles different in the first place. Others insist that in order to be a truffle, the ganache must then be coated in chocolate powder. These traditionalists scoff at the idea of an outer hard chocolate coating. It's not that they don't like these other candies, they just don't call them truffles.
At the very least, to be a truffle there must be a ganache center. No matter which side you take in the coating debate, if the center ganache isn't made from chocolate and cream, you are not eating a truffle.
Want to learn how to make your own truffles? Take truffle making classes at Champagne Chocolates today to experience fresh chocolates.