[caption id="attachment_2337" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]All good chocolate starts with great cocoa beans![/caption]

 

Sephra chocolate is now sold all over the world, from the UK to the United States.

But where did it all start?

We take a look back at history in this latest blog.

 

Sephra chocolate – how it all began

[caption id="attachment_1923" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]Sephra created some of the world's best chocolate fountains, but it didn't end there![/caption]

 

When Sephra launched around 16 years ago, our goal was to make the best chocolate fountain in the world. So we did!

But we knew we also needed to create the world’s best chocolate to flow perfectly through the fountain.

We needed chocolate fondue which would flow flawlessly, fill the room with a heavenly aroma and, most importantly, taste phenomenal.

Then, as the company grew and new products were introduced, we realized our chocolate products needed to serve other purposes too.

We created and sourced further versatile chocolate products for baking, candy making and to make hot chocolate that would make even the Aztecs proud.

They were responsible for creating the very first drinking chocolate – bitter as it was – after all!

 

How Sephra chocolate was created

[caption id="attachment_1340" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]Sephra chocolate is now used by chefs, bakers and confectioners across the globe[/caption]

 

Sephra worked with a world-famous chocolatier to create its very own chocolate recipes.

The brief was to create a chocolate that melted easily to cascade over the tiers of the chocolate fountain and, of course, it had to taste delicious!

It also had to be ready to use without the need for oil or other ingredients. But, at the time, the only chocolate available contained oil.

In the end, Sephra chocolate was produced and manufactured with great success.

Sephra Belgian Chocolate was the first amazing chocolate recipe created by Sephra.

Available in rich dark chocolate, smooth milk chocolate and creamy white chocolate, this fondue chocolate was a hit for chocolate fountains and for baking.

It had the perfect texture for baking into chocolate chip cookies or rolling into indulgent chocolate truffles to please the most particular chocolate connoisseur.

 

Did you know?

[caption id="attachment_2344" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]Need to de-stress? Put your feet up and enjoy some calming chocolate with a cup of tea![/caption]

 

The smell of chocolate alone impacts your theta brain waves, promoting calm and relaxation.

Meanwhile darker chocolate, which has a higher cacao content, has been reported to help promote cardiovascular health.

The rise of dark chocolate

[caption id="attachment_2347" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]Dark chocolate is in high demand[/caption]

 

According to reports, dark chocolate sales have risen 42% over the last five or so years.

But why are consumers clamoring for more dark chocolate?

Tinka Gordon, who is vice president of marketing for the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, thinks she has the answer.

“The world's chocolate palate is growing more sophisticated and people are beginning to crave a more intense-tasting chocolate experience,” she says.

But the quality – and ultimately your chocolate tasting experience – depends on its correct storage and usage.

 

Chocolate choices – what to use when

Sephra Belgian Chocolate (always a favorite)

[caption id="attachment_2446" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]Sephra Belgian Chocolate remains one of our bestsellers[/caption]

 

So let's dive into specific chocolate varieties Sephra has to offer and how to best use them.

In the beginning, Sephra produced only imported Belgian chocolate.

Sephra Belgian Chocolate tastes delicious and remains one of our biggest sellers today.

Belgian Dark Chocolate

[caption id="attachment_2451" align="aligncenter" width="1277"]Strawberries taste delicious dipped in semi-sweet dark chocolate[/caption]

 

Our Belgian Semi-Sweet (or Dark) Chocolate creates the most delicious dark chocolate fondue you’ll ever have the pleasure to ‘dip’!

It does not harbor the bitter aftertaste of many popular dark chocolate products.

Its creamy, smooth, texture lets you savor the full chocolate experience, without that lingering bitter flavor.

Belgian Milk Chocolate

[caption id="attachment_2449" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]Milk chocolate fondue is always a firm favorite at parties and other events[/caption]

 

Our Belgian Milk Chocolate Fondue is probably the most popular choice at chocolate fountain events.

Everyone's favorite, you can't beat good ol' milk chocolate!

Again, imported from Belgium, the milk chocolate fondue is smooth, satisfying and tastes delicious.

Belgian White Chocolate

[caption id="attachment_2453" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]White chocolate is incredibly versatile and can even be dyed[/caption]

 

Sephra’s Belgian White Chocolate is the “Jack of All Trades”. It's magnificent just melted as white chocolate fondue.

Dip sweet, juicy strawberries or buttery Madeleine cookies and you need nothing more. Pure palate pleasure!

These days, colored foods also attract a lot of attention and our Belgian White Chocolate is no exception!

We add one word of caution, here, though! Liquid (water-based) food coloring from the grocery store, will make the chocolate “seize”.

In other words, it will clump together and become unusable!

Make sure you use only oil-based food coloring.

Sephra has seven oil-based colors to choose from, plus Black: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, and Pink.

Whether you choose Sephra Milk, Dark or White Belgian chocolate, you’ve got a winner!

It’s the best chocolate fondue you can buy and will flow perfectly through your Sephra chocolate fountain (and other brands) without adding a drop of vegetable oil.

Sephra Premium Chocolate

[caption id="attachment_2457" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]Sephra Premium Chocolate flows effortlessly through the fountain[/caption]

 

That extra import cost of Belgian chocolate was something the folks at Sephra knew was unavoidable.

That got them thinking that perhaps they could almost duplicate the chocolate and make it less costly right here in the United States.

Then Sephra Premium Chocolate was created!

Again, working with the same famous chocolatier, Sephra created a domestic recipe and found a facility in the United States.

It wasn't long before the company started producing Sephra Premium Chocolate products.

The Sephra Premium line of chocolate is as close to the Belgian import as you can get… without the boat ride across the ocean!

It has a beautiful, glossy appearance, rich aroma and satisfying taste without any bitterness!

Sephra Premium Milk Chocolate wins the race, every time. It just seems people prefer the taste and texture of milk chocolate.

It's smooth, creamy and oh, so delicious. It’s ideal for any occasion and compliments most dipping items perfectly.

Kids have been known to stand by the chocolate fountain, discreetly dipping (or so they thought) for hours on end.

Sephra Premium or Belgian chocolate chips also make great additions to chocolate chip cookies. You’ll find the perfect recipe here!

[caption id="attachment_2455" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]Add Sephra Belgian or Premium chocolate chips to your recipe for the most delicious cookies[/caption]

Sephra Chocolate Melts – perfect for candy making

We move on to a different chocolate product now... our Sephra Chocolate Melts.

This product will flow through the chocolate fountain just as easily, but will set up more quickly.

The Sephra Melts are made to use as a fondue in the chocolate fountain, and also make great candy and baked goods. They will harden faster, without any waxy texture.

They are perfect for making chocolate-covered strawberries, pretzels and marshmallows. Candy Bark is fabulous too!

Sephra Chocolate Melts come in Dark, Milk, and White chocolate flavors. You can read more about them here.