While my parents were visiting, we decided to do a chocolate taste test!
They even brought over some Seroogys Meltaways so we could test them against Belgian chocolates.
THE CONTESTANTS
Neuhaus (1857): Neuhaus is known for being the creator of the Belgian Praline, which is a chocolate filled with a soft liquid filling – like caramel or ganache. Not to be confused with praliné, which is a creamy nut filling.
Jean Neuhaus was a Belgian pharmacist living in Brussels in 1800s who was beloved by his customers because he covered his medicines with a fine layer of chocolate. In 1912, his grandson evolved this idea into the Belgian praline and replaced the medicine filling with something sweeter.
What we tried: Assorted pralines
| Stars (1-5) | |
| Mom | 3.25/5 |
| Dad | 3.9/5 |
| Jo | 3.5/5 |
| Brev | 3.6/5 |
Seroogys (1899): This Wisconsin family chocolate shop began in 1899, making fine chocolate candies out of their home in De Pere. Today there are two Seroogy stores and they ship nationally.
What we tried: Milk chocolate Meltaway
| Stars (1-5) | |
| Mom | 4.75/5 |
| Dad | 4.5/5 |
| Jo | 5/5 |
| Brev | 11,000/5 |
Leonidas (1913): Leonidas Belgian Chocolates have been made in Belgium since 1913. The Leonidas’ flagship store opened in 1991 in the USA on Madison Avenue in New York City. Leonidas is typically known as the more affordable Belgian chocolate option.
What we tried: Assorted milk chocolates
| Stars (1-5) | |
| Mom | 3/5 |
| Dad | 2.8/5 |
| Jo | 2.9/5 |
| Brev | 1.6/5 |
Mary (1919): Mary Delluc, the first female chocolatier in Brussels, founded her chocolate shop in Brussels in 1919. She intentionally put her shop on a street that the king and very popular among members of the aristocracy and bourgeoisie walked down daily. Her chocolate shop quickly became a tea salon which allowed Mary to gain respect and esteem. Mary was extremely concerned with her products’ presentation including the chocolate boxes and window displays.
What we tried: Assorted pralinés
| Stars (1-5) | |
| Mom | 3.5/5 |
| Dad | 4/5 |
| Jo | 4.2/5 |
| Brev | 3/5 |
Chocolatier Dumon (1992): Stephan Dumon began producing artisan truffles for bakeries and pastry chefs nearby Torhout (just outside Bruges) in 1992. Word spread and soon after neighbors asked if they could buy his truffles, so he set up a small, part-time shop in the garage. Business continued to blossom and there are currently eight shops in throughout Brussels today.
What we tried: Truffles
| Stars (1-5) | |
| Mom | 4/5 |
| Dad | 4.3/5 |
| Jo | 4.2/5 |
| Brev | 3.5/5 |
Pierre Marcolini (2001): Pierre Marcolini is known as being an artist, with chocolate as his medium. He is obsessed with taste and quality, so in 2001 Pierre decides to produce his own chocolate from cocoa beans. He makes beautiful chocolate and has modern shops with beautiful packaging.
What we tried: Salted caramel milk chocolate
| Stars (1-5) | |
| Mom | 4/5 |
| Dad | 3.9/5 |
| Jo | 4.1/5 |
| Brev | 4/5 |
Elisabeth Chocolatier (date unknown): Elisabeth collects all of Belgium’s best artisanal sweets including pastries, Cuberdons and other sweet treats. Their motto is “Our sweets speak when words can’t”. Elisabeth really extends beyond a traditional Belgian “chocolate shop.”
What we tried: Assorted truffles
| Stars (1-5) | |
| Mom | 2.5/5 |
| Dad | 2.6/5 |
| Jo | 2/5 |
| Brev | 0.5/5 |
IN CONCLUSION
Our unanimous favorite chocolate was Seroogys! We wondered if it was because we are most familiar with Seroogys, but ultimately we all liked it the best.
Leonidas and Elisabeth were our unanimous LEAST favorite chocolates.
Also – that was A LOT of chocolate to test. We all felt a bit ill afterwards, but it was a lot of fun. 😂
Below are some photos of the chocolates we tried, our score sheets and some of the chocolate shops!
The Jo Show 