Chocolate According to Spain, Italy and France

Low and behold, these are the greatest  chocolate-producing countries in  Europe. Take a look at these  countries and the characteristics  of their chocolate. You might  find a new favorite!

Spain:  Spain was the first European  country to feature a chocolate-making  factory. In air or Hernan  Cortes' adventures in the New  World, Spaniards have been making  chocolate long before any  other region in Europe.

Spain hosts endless plantations  of exquisite fruits and nuts  grown in the incomparable  conditions of the Mediterranean.  Because of this, Spain is  characterized by producing  lavishly-filled chocolates with  almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, and  pine nuts. Spanish  chocolates are reminiscent of the  traditional Spanish "turron,"  better known as "torrone" in  Italy. Featuring nut pralines  covered in creamy milk chocolate  or chocolate covered cherries and  orange peels, Spanish chocolate  was the inspiration for renowned  countries like Belgium and  Switzerland.

Italy: Similar to Spain's confections,  Italian chocolates feature plump  nuts and fruit fillings that  beautifully counteract the  creamy, indulgent chocolate.  Italians, much like some  regions of Spain, like to fill  their chocolates with liqueurs.   Rum, whiskey, cherry, and mint  liqueur are just some of the  ingredients that you will  find in Italian chocolates.  Because people in Italy like  their chocolate in small bars,  they coined the term  "Neapolitans," which refer to  chocolate bites that have been  individually wrapped. The term is  now used everywhere in the world,  and has been adopted by many big  chocolate-making companies in  their wrapping and branding.

France: France is characterized for  having boutique chocolatiers, as  opposed to the large chocolate-making industries  in Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.

Popular for their dark, bittersweet chocolates and  shiny chocolate boxes filled with  carefully molded and decorated  bites, the French like their  chocolate elegant and simple.  While truffles and nut pralines  are also a favorite, when in  France, plain chocolate is the  most common choice.