Semi-sweet chocolate with cranberries

The fine art of the Leysieffer chocolatier.

The quality of a chocolate depends on the procedure used to produce it.

The basic recipe of the dark, white, whole milk and vintage chocolate from Leysieffer will of course remain our secret. What is no secret, however, is that Leysieffer chocolates are a combination of art and craft.

The art is in giving the chocolate that special touch time and again. The emphasis is on touch: for example, a touch of ginger, chili or orange underlines the taste of good chocolate without dominating it. This is a balancing act for our chocolatiers, requiring just the right touch and patience. It is also a “balancing act” because the perfect temperature of the chocolate in the course of production from heating to cooling plays an essential role in determining its flavor and appearance.

From artwork to handwork.

And that already brings us to the craftsmanship: The chocolate mass is mixed until the ingredients are perfectly combined. Other ingredients, such as whole nuts or almonds, are placed directly into the chocolate mold by hand. The liquid chocolate is then poured into the mold. Now the chocolate goes into the “cooling paternoster”. This is a kind of cooling system over several levels, which transports the chocolates from one cold zone to the next via an elevator.

Now comes the most exciting moment for our chocolatiers: The chocolate is very carefully taken out of the molds by hand and is subject to rigorous visual inspection: It passes inspection if no air bubbles can be seen and it has a slight gloss. Now it’s packaging time. And even that is still an art. Each of our 60 chocolates has its own packaging design, including hand-painted motifs by Sylvia Leysieffer.