Comptoir de Mathilde in Bruges

Bruges is a chocolate lovers paradise. When walking the streets of town, it's difficult to decide which to visit as there simply are so many. I found that one of the best ways was just to look at the shop and get a sense of it through its appearance. For the Comptoir de Mathilde I was struck by the color of the frontage and the older style of text used; they imparted a sense of "homemade pride" in their product. The shop became of my favorites during my visit.

Chocolate has been a major industry in Belgium since the 19th century, and today it forms an important part of the nation's economy and culture. However, the raw materials used in chocolate production do not originate in Belgium; most cocoa is produced in Africa, central America, and south America. Nevertheless, the country has had an association with the product that dates to the early 17th century. While the industry has been regulated by law since 1894, there is no universal standard for the chocolate to be labelled "Belgian". The most commonly accepted standard dictates that the actual production must take place inside Belgium.