Bonnat Chocolate

April 18, 2018

I learned about Bonnat chocolate on a trip to Voiron way-back-when, well over a decade ago, when I wanted to visit the Chartreuse distillery, to learn how the mysterious herbal elixir was made. It was an interesting trip, especially because one of the smells coming from the infusing vats filled with herbs reminded me of the smell of some of the herbs you’d smell on the streets of San Francisco, specifically in the Haight-Ashbury, near where I lived.

What stood out most from that trip wasn’t that smell, or learning that the liqueur had a secret recipe that only two monks knew, or that there was a gift shop filled with all-things Chartreusian (not Carthusian, like the monks were). It was the ovals of chocolate, wrapped in golden foil. When I unwrapped the foil and popped the whole thing in my mouth, a few seconds later there was an explosion of flavor like I’d never experienced before. I was hooked.

The chocolate shell gave way to a thin crust of sugar, just brittle enough so that when you gently cracked it, a gush of pure Chartreuse surged forward, which mingled with the dark chocolate, creating a flavor combination that’s so good, you can’t imagine how good it is until you taste it. The learned the couverture surrounding the liquid Chartreuse was from Bonnat, who made the chocolate nearby.

Bonnat chocolate was founded in 1884, and it took them nearly 135 years to come to Paris. Unlike other chocolate shops in Paris, or anywhere else, Bonnat isn’t just a fondeur (melter) of chocolate; they make their own chocolate, directly by roasting and grinding the beans themselves.

Step into their shop, located in a less-trafficked part of Paris, and you’ll see their entire range of chocolates on display. At present, they do make fifteen grands crus d’exception chocolate bars, made from cacao beans the owner, Stéphane Bonnat, finds exceptional. Those include a Chuao chocolate that has distinct vanilla overtones, even though they don’t add any vanilla (or lethicin) to their chocolates. There’s a Madagascar chocolate they say is 100% criollo chocolate. The Sleva Maya chocolate from Mexico took a good medal at the International Chocolate Awards in 2016. And there’s a Porcelana bar, made from Venezuelan cacao that has a light-colored pod, rather than the dark ones that most cacao pods have.

You can sample the different grands crus d’exception of chocolate in tablets, or by the palets (show on the top of the post), with a big “B” emboldened on them. There are also grands crus of chocolate from Trinidad, the Côte d’Ivoire, Ceylon, and Equator. Bakers will be happy to know they also make a 200 gram/7 ounce baking bar (chocolat à cuire, above) that isn’t bad for snacking on either.

Bonnat also makes bonbons, individual chocolates, such as Breizh, filled with salted butter caramel, Chardon bleu, spiky blue rounds with hazelnut praline inside, and Sicilien, with a melting center of honey and rum. I was expecting orange inside, which I associate with Sicily (not honey and rum), so someday, when I get myself back to Voiron, I’m going to ask about that one.

Unfortunately, I can’t show you the inside of one of the liqueur-filled chocolates. (Unless you want to see the inside of my mouth, which I don’t think you do.) But you’ll have to trust me on this one; these are the stars of the show. Each is filled with a different kind of liqueur, including Cognac, Pear William, Grand Marnier, kirsch, and, yes, Chartreuse, my choice, toujours.

The good news also is that you can’t share these, so you don’t have to. I’ve seen people bite them in half, who don’t take my word for it that they’re going to make a mess if they do. I am one of those people who doesn’t say, “I hate to say I told you so, but…” because I love telling people, “I told you so!”

So don’t be one of those people, especially if you’re traveling and only have limited clothing options. You don’t want to spend the rest of your trip smelling like Chartreuse and chocolate. Although on second thought, why not?