Sukerbuge Chocolate Demonstration (MOVE AFTER 2ND MEMLING POST)

After a busy morning with Daniella and more sites than I can recall, she finally left us at the Sukerbuge (Sugarbelly?) Chocolate shop. Bruges' residents are connoisseurs of fine chocolate and there are chocolate-filled windows on every corner all around town.

We were ushered through the shop into the back room, where the owner, Roland Sukerbuge, explained that there are fifty chocolate shops in Bruges but only two which make and produce their own chocolate. His is the oldest and all they produce is for their shop only; therefore, it's fresh and not distributed. Roland explained how they use real dairy (not evaporated milk) and real butter (instead of margarine). The dark chocolate is made with 60% cocoa and 20% cocoa butter; they add milk powder to that recipe in order to make the milk chocolate. White chocolate is made with cocoa butter only.

Mr. Sugarbelly is a passionate chocolatier who talked a mile a minute while giving us his demonstration. A typical Rick Steves' "teacher," he obviously loves making quality chocolate and talking about it; and he has every reason to be proud, obviously.

As we filed out to spend the rest of the day as we pleased, we were very excited to get samples and then more excited when the next staff member handed each of us a 25 euro box of chocolates! And although they told us they would last forever (i.e., not spoil or go bad), my box was finished off before we left Amsterdam for home!