Jean Neuhaus was a Swiss with Italian roots. When he arrived in Switzerland, Jean’s family changed its name from “Casanova” to “Neuhaus”.
He wanted to become a doctor to help people and so he went to study medicine in Grenoble. He failed twice, mainly because he could not bear the sight of blood. He then moved and settled in Brussels in 1857. In the same year he opened a pharmacy in the prestigious Queen’s Gallery. To delight his customers, Jean Neuhaus covered his medicines with a fine layer of chocolate.
In 1912, his grandson evolved this idea into the Belgian praline as we know it today: chocolate filled with delight instead of medicine.
In 1915, Louise Agostini, the wife of Jean Neuhaus jr., invented the ballotin, the elegant gift box to protect his chocolates and present them attractively. The ballotin would go on to become an iconic part of the Belgian chocolate tradition.
Read about the Belgian industry here.
