Dolfin Belgian Chocolate
Dolfin's Story and Philosophy
Since its creation in 1989, Chocolaterie Dolfin has excelled in the Art of Blending quality chocolate with exceptional natural ingredients. The story of Maison Dolfin, is first and foremost a tale of passion for quality Belgian chocolate. Over the years, their chocolaterie has become a worldwide point of reference for superior quality and sustainable chocolate, as well as for our mastery of the entire production process.
Since its establishment, Maison Dolfin has won adoration for its chocolates in harmonious and surprising flavor combinations. Dolfin’s Master Chocolatiers perfectly marry pure cocoa butter chocolate with natural ingredients carefully selected from across the world. The result: indulgent, innovative and elegant creations, for the tasting pleasure of gourmet food lovers.
In 2007, Jean-Jacques de Gruben, unconditional lover of Belgian chocolate, took up the reins of the Dolfin Chocolaterie. He has continued and strengthened this tradition of excellence with the development of new recipes and widening the international distribution network.
Dolfin's Tree-to-Bar Chocolate
Crafting Excellence
How is Dolfin chocolate produced? From cocoa tree to chocolate bar, discover all the production stages for their delicious superior quality chocolate.
1. Harvesting and Breaking
The Dolfin chocolate adventure begins in cocoa plantations where trees start producing pods three years after planting. After 4 to 6 months, the pods ripen and change color from green to red to yellow. Farmers carefully harvest the pods using secateurs for those within reach and a pruning hook for higher ones, ensuring minimal damage to the trees. Once harvested, the pods are opened with a machete to extract about 40 cocoa beans from the mucilage inside.
2. Examination
At a maximum of 6 hours after harvesting, the fresh cocoa beans are transported to Dolfin’s fermentation centre, three times a week. On site, they are laid out on a tarpaulin so that their experts can examine their quality.
The beans are then weighed and packaged in 10 kg sacks. The fresh beans contain the sweet pulp needed for fermentation. On average, they weigh three times more than dried beans. The producer receives the price per kilo divided by 3, plus a “quality bonus” of 100 FCFA thanks to their Cocoa Act 4 program.
3. Fermentation
The fermentation of cocoa beans is key as it allows for the chocolate flavors to develop. The fermentation process takes place in 3 stages, over approximately 6 days.
Over two days, the fresh cocoa beans ferment in wooden crates that are covered in jute bags and banana leaves. The flavors begin to develop through a natural chemical reaction. A strong smell of alcohol can be detected.
Finally, the cocoa beans are stirred in a third container for two days. Inside, the temperature can reach up to 55°C! The internal color of the beans changes from mauve to brown.
To check fermentation, Dolfin carries out a “Cut Test”. The more brown on the inside, the more fermented the bean. If they observe that in 100 beans and 10% are still mauve inside, a third stirring process takes place for an additional two days.
4. Drying
Then, the fermented cocoa beans are spread on drying benches. The air and sun dry them naturally. During the drying process, the beans are again inspected by Dolfin’s experts. The small residual skins are removed in order to stop the fermentation process. After several days (maximum of 11 days in rainy periods), the cocoa beans are dry.
5. Roasting and Grinding
The dried cocoa beans are then put into sacks and transported to the first processing site. There, they are roasted for around 10 minutes. During the cooking process, the beans develop their flavors.
The roasted beans are ground to a paste known as cocoa mass. After pressing, the paste is turned into cocoa butter or cocoa powder.
6. Manufacturing Chocolate
At Dolfin’s chocolate factory, the cocoa mass is mixed with other ingredients to obtain chocolate. Depending on the ingredients added (sugar, milk powder, cocoa powder and cocoa butter), you can create dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate. The chocolates mentioned go through a conching, then tempering to make it smooth, shiny and crisp.
Finally, the chocolate is poured into a mold to create its shape: bars, squares, eggs, etc. Depending on the recipe, Dolfin’s Master Chocolatiers incorporate 100% natural superior quality ingredients in order to obtain the irresistible flavour of Dolfin chocolate!
Distinctive Flavor Profiles
High Quality Cocoa
Dolfin pays premium prices to ensure their cacao is grown organically & protects both biodiversity and genetic variation, while paying fair wages for cacao growers. Growers maintain ecosystems in their growing practices, making sure a wide range of plants and animals thrive in the growing areas, ensuring both habitat and biodiversity.
Exotic Origins
Dolfin brings out the unique flavor of each cocoa origin, all designed to celebrate the richness of cacao and offer a truly memorable tasting experience.
Unique Flavors
Dolfin uses flavors from the vast landscapes of the world to encapsulate a unique taste into their chocolate.
Explore Dolfin's Chocolate Creations
Chocolate Delights Gallery
Indulge in Dolfin's Exquisite Belgian Chocolate Selection
