History of Leonidas Belgian Chocolates
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Chocolate may be the “food of the gods,” but for most of its 4,000-year history, it was actually consumed as a bitter beverage rather than as a sweet edible treat. Cocoa beans first appeared in Europe in the late 16th century when Spanish explorers brought them back from Mexico; however, they did not reach Belgium until 1635.
Brussels is considered the “chocolate capital of the world” because it is home to more chocolate factories than any other city on earth! The well-known chocolate makers of Brussels have been hard at work on their trade for more than two centuries. It was not until the 1800s that Belgian chocolate started building its impressive reputation due to King Leopold II, who harvested cocoa crops in the colonized African Congo.
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The beloved chocolate we know as Leonidas Belgian Chocolate was founded by Cappadocian Greek American confectioner Leonidas Kestelides (or Kestekidis) after he married Joanna Teerlinck, a young lady from Brussels. He first came to Belgium to attend the Brussels Universal Exhibition at the Brussels World Fair of 1910 as a member of the Greek delegation from the United States. He presented his chocolate at the fair and won a bronze medal. In 1913, he opened a tea room in Ghent. In 1924, Leonidas opened Pâtisserie Centrale, a tea-room on Rue Paul Delvaux in Brussels. And the rest as we know it is history of a widely popular and beloved brand.
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Since his very first creations, Leonidas’ recipe for success is based on the virtue of impeccable freshness. Today, Leonidas makes more than 100 varieties of Belgian chocolates of the highest quality and freshness – never using frozen products and always using chocolate made of 100% pure cocoa butter.
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Only ingredients of the finest quality are used in the making of Leonidas pralines: real Belgian chocolate makes for the base of each creation, fresh butter, fresh cream, milk cream, hazelnuts from Turkey, Morello cherries from the Périgord, almonds from Italy, walnuts from Grenoble and Valencias oranges.
That is why we are so proud to carry Leonidas Belgian Chocolates at Love + Chocolate shop.
Shop the full range of Leonidas Belgian Chocolates either in our Walnut Creek, CA location or online.
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We hope to see you in the store or online soon!
Thanks for your business,
- Kent, Kristy and the girls
