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From 3 August 2003, a European Directive has allowed chocolate manufacturers to use vegetable fats (instead of cocoa butter) in their chocolates, albeit under certain very strict conditions. This Directive caused a lot of controversy among manufacturers and consumers, but at Leonidas we have a very clear and simple position on this issue: Leonidas only uses 100% cocoa butter in its chocolates and fillings. The statement that "Leonidas is 100% pure cocoa butter... and 100% quality" is more true now than ever.

Chocolate should involve every one of your senses: sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell. Allow the chocolate to start to melt in your mouth - it should be smooth, without any hint of graininess. Two or three bites should release the secondary aromas in the filling. Finally, push the chocolate gently against the roof of your mouth to allow the flavour to linger on your palate. Above all, take your time to enjoy the experience. After all, we took our time making it.

Some of the products in the Leonidas range are suitable for vegetarians and/or vegans. The salesperson in your Leonidas outlet will be able to advise you.

A list that identifies the products that do not contain alcohol is available on request at info@leonidas.com

It all depends on what type of allergy you have. Some Leonidas products contain allergens (gluten or nuts for instance). If you have a food allergy, simply send us an e-mail and we'll be happy to tell you which chocolates are safe for the allergy you specify. In short:

Leonidas products contain no eggs, except for our jellies and our lemon slices and orange slices.

Gluten
Gluten is a molecule found in cereals such as wheat, barley, oats and their derivatives such as malt and starch. Some Leonidas products are made with ingredients that contain gluten and that may contain traces of gluten.

Dried fruits
Many Leonidas products contain nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, etc.). All Leonidas product can contain traces of dried fruit.

Milk (lactose, milk proteins, etc.)
Dairy products are naturally key ingredients in the manufacture of some Leonidas products. Leonidas quality assurance procedures demand that between manufacturing cycles, i.e. between different types of chocolate, the equipment will be properly cleaned and rinsed. Despite the implementation of good manufacturing practices, traces of milk proteins may be found in some of our dark chocolates. The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFA) have identified milk proteins as a food allergen. However, methods of analysis have recently become available to manufacturers that allow milk proteins to be detected in minute proportions of parts per million. For the benefit of its customers, Leonidas prints the following statement on all its packaging at the end of the list of ingredients for its dark chocolate "(may contain traces of milk proteins)”.

If you want to enjoy the Leonidas chocolates containing alcohol or butter cream at their best, we recommend storing them in a cool place and eating them cool (straight from the fridge). Our pure chocolates and those with praline, ganache, cream, liqueur cream or almond paste fillings, and our truffles are best stored at temperatures of between 15 and 18°C.

Care should also be taken not to store the chocolates and chocolate in general near foods or substances that have a strong odour, since chocolate absorbs odours very readily.

To guarantee a unique flavour, Leonidas chocolates should be be consumed within eight days of purchase.

Leonidas chocolate tablets should be consumed within six months, to guarantee the quality and authenticity of the real chocolate-taste.

The company that supplies Leonidas with its couverture chocolate guarantees that the soya lecithin used in the manufacturing process is exclusively from soya from plantations that are strictly controlled to ensure they do not contain genetically modified soya and is PCR negative.

As for glucose and products containing glucose, our suppliers’ guarantee that the glucose is either produced from starch from non-genetically modified wheat or that controls are in place to ensure that no genetically modified maize is used in the course of manufacture.

There are two types of bloom, fatty bloom and sugar bloom. Fatty bloom is a smooth film on the surface of the chocolate which you can't really feel. Sugar bloom looks and feels like tiny grains of sugar.

Fatty bloom is caused by fats migrating to the surface of the chocolate, or by them re-crystallizing. This can be caused by the chocolate layer being too thin, poor tempering, the filling migrating, or the chocolate being stored at too high a temperature. Sugar bloom is caused by the recrystallisation of the sugar in the chocolate. This happens when condensation forms on the chocolate due to a temperature difference and high humidity.

Chocolate should always be stored in dry conditions at between 15 and 18C. That's precisely how we store all our Leonidas chocolates to ensure that they reach you in the best possible condition.

Chocolate is known to have anti-depressant qualities, which could be linked to the small quantity of serotonin found in chocolate. Serotonin is a substance which is found naturally in the brain and affects our moods. Other substances contained in chocolate help you stay awake and alert, help your muscles work, stimulate the appetite, and help mental activity and alertness. Remember that a good quality chocolate only contains cocoa, pure cocoa butter and sugar.

Yes it does. Chocolate peps up your body and your mind. It has a lot of energy in a very small volume because of its main nutrients such as carbohydrates (sugars) and fatty acids or lipids. Your body absorbs the sugars rapidly to give you a quick energy boost. It processes the fatty acids (the cocoa butter) more slowly to give you energy over an extended period. The mineral salts, oligo elements and vitamins in chocolate also make it a good regenerative food for the brain. Its theobromine stimulates the nervous system and boosts concentration.

The Aztec Emperor Montezuma, Casanova, Madame De Pompadour and the Marquis de Sade certainly all thought so. Although it's not really an aphrodisiac, one of the substances it contains, phenylethylamine, causes your body to react in the same way as it does when you're in love. So chocolate may not make you a great lover, but you can't help loving chocolate!

Quite the opposite in fact. Once it has been absorbed by your body, cocoa produces 72% unsaturated fatty acids which actually reduce your cholesterol level and clean your arteries. It contains only 20% saturated fatty acids - the kind which aren't so good for you. There's very little cholesterol in dark chocolate made from 100% cocoa butter, like that of Leonidas. In milk chocolate, the cholesterol varies from 15 to 18mg per 100g which is pretty insignificant.

We all need magnesium in our diets to promote good neuro-vascular function, but our normal food intake barely provides the minimum. The good news is that chocolate is rich in magnesium.

When a recent survey asked 20,000 Belgians what they thought about different brands, Leonidas was outright winner in the chocolate category. In fact, 1 in every 3 top quality Belgian chocolates sold comes from Leonidas - and 55% of Belgians say that we are the most highly-rated chocolate maker in the country. Not bad, in the most chocolate-obsessed country in the world.

We do have Kosher certification for our products. Please read in the PDF the authorized products published by the Chicago Rabbinical Council.