This year marks the 140th anniversary of the launch of the Côte d'Or chocolate brand. It is one of the historical icons of Belgian chocolate. But does it still maintain its famous Belgian taste after all these years?
Thirteen years after he founded his chocolate factory in Schaerbeek, Jacques Neuhaus created the Côte d'Or brand in 1883, naming it after the Gold Coast, a British colony in what is now Ghana, RTBF reports.
The brand remained 100% Belgian until 1989, when it was taken over by the Kraft group. When the Kraft Group was split up in 2012, Côte d'Or became part of the Mondelèz International Group. At present, 300 people are employed in its production in Belgium.
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While Côte d'Or is now a multinational and no longer a Belgian company, its Belgian taste remains. The famous chocolate liqueur, which is the basic syrup, is still made in Belgium with the Côte d'Or taste, which has remained unchanged since it was first created.
So, while the company’s ownership has changed, the chocolate’s taste has not and as such, Côte d'Or’s bars remain part of Belgium’s rich and tasty heritage.