In the bustling city center of Bruges where every other store is of chocolate, tapestry or beer, it’s only fitting that Rick Steve’s Heart of Belgium Tour includes a chocolate demonstration on the agenda. We ended visiting the kitchen of Chef Kevin at L’Atelier Du Chocolat, a family-owned business operating for over three generations. Both Chef Kevin and his brother fully staff, operate and run this artisan chocolatier. They’re constantly on their toes: manning the kitchen, creating new truffle recipes, developing an online presence, and perfecting the taste and texture — all while keep up with an ear full of orders and replenishing the shelves.

The root of developing fine Belgium chocolate comes from the quality of the cocoa bean. Chef Kevin buys them from Vietnam and Guatemala, and will oftentimes make the trip to these countries to ensure the quality of the raw beans. Harvesting the cocoa pods are a very lengthy and labor-intensive process, and usually gathered every few weeks during peak harvest season. Processing the cocoa beans involves six main steps: fermentation, drying and bagging, winnowing, roasting, grinding and processing before you can set your taste buds on the rich buttery flavor.

The chocolate itself is packaged into ten pound blocks and stored in the kitchen until the chocolatier determines its fate. In the above, Chef Kevin melted the block of chocolate and poured it into his truffle mold. After removing the excess chocolate, he sets it aside until it hardens and then is able to fill it with a creamy granache or fruity centre. Topping it off with another layer of chocolate coats the dessert centre before it is ready for packaging.

Because truffles have a very short shelf life, they must be consumed within a few days of making, which is no problem for a group such as ours. In no time, Chef Kevin provided us a tray full of an assortment of beautifully crafted, authentic Belgium truffles. The decision was tough. Each bite-sized, petit truffle was handcrafted with careful attention to detail and unlike any of the truffles I’ve seen in the states. I ended up selecting one that resembled an emerald gem and to my surprise, the creamy, luxurious center that melted in my mouth was smooth blend of match green tea perfection. I don’t think taste buds will ever forget that rich, decadent flavor.