The History of Chocolate Truffles

Its widely thought that Chocolate Truffles originated in France in the late 1890's but according to a kitchen legend, the chocolate truffle was created in the kitchen of the well known French chef Georges Auguste Escoffier during the 1920s.

The apprentice was attempting to prepare pastry cream when he inadvertently poured hot cream into a basin with chocolate pieces rather than one with beaten eggs and sugar. This created a chocolate ganache, which as it cooled was then discovered that it could be worked into little round balls by hand.

The little  balls of chocolate ganache were then dusted with cocoa and received the name truffle after the members of the renowned mushroom family found in France, because of their resemblance to the dark and rumpled, highly prized mushroom.

The chocolate truffle then became very fashionable and flavourings, nuts and candy were added to them and they were often given as a gift.