In January I wrote about the long history of truffles; now I thought it would be easy to find out about the invention of chocolate truffles. Surprisingly, my Google search did not turn up results in the usual places. Not even Wikipedia explains when and where chocolate truffles originated. When I looked up Georges Auguste Escoffier, whom I’d heard was the inventor, his Wikipedia entry did not mention truffles.

So here I am to repeat the legend of the chocolate truffle without any evidence. At least you might learn a thing or two about Escoffier and about the correct definiton of truffles.

Let’s start there. Narrowly defined, a truffle is a ball of ganache, that is chocolate and cream. French truffles are simply ganache rolled in cocoa or perhaps chopped nuts, while Belgian truffles are ganache dipped in chocolate. Chocolates filled with anything else are not really truffles.

Next order of business, who was Georges Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935)? He was a French chef, restauranteur, and culinary writer, who simplified and modernized classic French cuisine. For instance, he codified the recipes for the five mother sauces (béchamel, espagnole, tomato, velouté, and hollandaise). He is also famous for running the kitchens at the Savoy, the Paris Ritz, and the Carleton. It’s also worth noting that Escoffier published Le Guide Culinaire, a cookbook/textbook that remains highly influential.

Legend has it that an apprentice of Escoffier created the first chocolate truffles after accidentally pouring hot cream into a bowl of chocolate chunks. Once stirred and cooled this mixture became ganache, the basis for truffles. I imagine if this origin story were substantiated it would be mentioned in Wikipedia. But for now at least it is the best we have.

And finally, chocolate truffles are named after the fungus because of their similar appearance.

I hope if this post has made you hungry you have some chocolate somwhere in your house!