born original

KEEP CRAFTING WITH THE ORIGINAL TASTE OF BELGIUM

Around the world, chefs & artisans create original flavours born from personal dreams, visions or ambitions. Born Original is a tribute to all chefs. Here, we bring together your inspiring stories. Your recipes. And your views.

Born Original magazine Fall 2024 out now!

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STORIES

DESSERT CHEF & DONUT SCIENTIST

This is Lungi Mhlanga

Meet the new and extraordinary Born Original. A dessert visionary and a sweetness specialist. Lungi Mhlanga is ready to conquer the London and the world with eccentric donuts unlike any other.

Get to know her

NICOLE MCKENZIE

The art of patisserie is Nicole McKenzie's passion. From winning Junior Chocolate Master UK, to sketching new creations, through to building her own business, she is endlessly finding new ways to develop her unique craft. For her, chocolate plays a large part in the development of new dishes and deciding what fusion of ingredients to use to bring out the flavours.

MEET HER

SOPHIE BAMFORD

Born in Britain, Sophie Bamford grew up surrounded by chocolate and the changing seasons. This inspired her to follow her dreams, train in the craft of pastry and launch her own business: 'All Day Cake'. Today she seasons her creations with her favourite flavours, and has kept her life-long sweet spot for the finest chocolate.

MEET HER

FOCUSED TO THE BONE

SEBASTIAN PETTERSSON

Intimidating looks, yet a warm and friendly character. Sebastian Pettersson is a man of contrasts who thrives on coffee and chocolate and lives his dream.

MEET HIM

THE ALCHEMIST OF DEAMS

NICOLAS NIKOLAKOPOULOS

Greece isn’t an obvious country to become a pastry chef. So how could alchemist become an internationally praised pastry chef?

MEET HIM

PART 1 - THE BEANS THAT MAKE THE CUT

Where do the cocoa beans for our chocolate come from? And what makes them special? Kirsten Tibballs takes you on our bean-to-bar tour.
PART 2 - QUALITY OF THE COCOA BEANS

We only use the best-grade cocoa beans. But what does this mean? And how do we select them? Kirsten Tibballs discovers it here.
PART 3 – COMPOSING OUR COCOA BEAN BLEND

How does a blend of 3 different types of bean define the original taste of our chocolate? Does that blend ever change? Kirsten Tibballs looks for the answers.
PART 4 – WHOLE BEAN ROASTING FOR THE WHOLE TASTE

What is whole bean roasting? What does it do for our chocolate taste? And why do we believe already for more than 100 years that it is the best way to roast the cocoa beans?
PART 5 – THE ORIGINAL COCOA LIQUOR: THE HEART & SOUL OF OUR CHOCOLATE

How do we get from roasted beans to cocoa liquor? And what exactly makes our cocoa liquor so fine? Kirsten Tibballs finds all the answers with our cocoa specialists.
PART 6 – QUALITY CHECKING THE TASTE OF THE COCOA LIQUOR

How do we know for sure the cocoa liquor will exactly yield the taste we're after for our chocolate? Kirsten Tibballs checks it out for you.

SEE ALL

WHAT'S THE RIGHT
CHOCOLATE FOR YOUR
CREATIONS?

Which chocolate stands out with great taste in your desserts, pastries, bonbons and more? Which one works best for your applications? Chocolatiers and chefs: our lead-chef Minette shares her tips & tricks on how to make informed choices in chocolate.

FIND YOUR ORIGINAL

DARK CHOCOLATE, SIMPLIFIED

What dark chocolate makes your recipes shine? Start with the cocoa intensity. Chef Minette shows how to choose easily.

Watch the video
FIND YOUR ORIGINAL

MILK CHOCOLATE MADE EASY

Choosing a great milk chocolate for your creations shouldn't be hard. Creamy or cocoa-rich? Chef Minette lays out the options you'll find in the Callebaut chocolate range.

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FIND YOUR ORIGINAL

WHITE CHOCOLATE: STRAIGHTFORWARD FLAVOUR CHOICES

Choosing white chocolate? Focus on the flavour profile first. Chef Minette takes you through from buttery to caramel. Sweet!

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FIND YOUR ORIGINAL

RUBY AND GOLD CHOCOLATE: STAND OUT FLAVOURS

Want to wow with your creations? Try the unique tastes of ruby and gold chocolate: from berry vibes to salty butter caramel. Chef Minette guides you on when to choose these exceptional chocolates.

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FIND YOUR ORIGINAL

HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT CHOCOLATE FLUIDITY FOR YOUR CREATIONS?

Got the right flavour? Next, nail the fluidity. Choosing the right fluidity (or viscosity) of chocolate is essential for shaping chocolate shells with a precise thickness, creating perfect textures for ganaches and creams, and for wonderful chocolate-filled bakes. Chef Minette explains the different fluidities and the best applications for each fluidity.

Watch the video