The charms of Chocolate

From the origins of the cacao bean to the interpretation of all those percentages on packaging, chocolatier Christian Constant shares his rich knowledge.

For more than 50 years, Christian Constant has been a chocolatier, which has earned him international renown. He travels around the world in search of ingredients that will perfectly flavor his subtle cacao concoctions. This self-proclaimed "chocolate composer", who proved himself at the Parisian culinary empire Lenôtre in the 1960s, picks his geranium notes on the verdant slopes of Réunion Island and his ylang-ylang fragrances on the shores of the Mayotte. Some of his finest ganaches release aromas of jasmine and cardamom, while others smell like frangipani-and each creation is a gourmet break for the discerning palates of Paris and Tokyo.