Chocolate guide
Truffle vs Bonbon vs Praline: What Is the Difference?
Stand at any chocolate counter and you will hear truffle, bonbon and praline used almost interchangeably. They do overlap, but each word has a traditional meaning, and knowing them makes it easier to ask for exactly what you want.
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Truffles
A chocolate truffle is built around ganache, a mixture of chocolate and cream (sometimes butter). The classic French truffle is a rough ball of ganache rolled in cocoa powder, named for its resemblance to the prized truffle fungus. Many modern truffles are dipped in a thin chocolate shell instead.
Because ganache contains cream, fresh truffles have a short shelf life, often one to two weeks. They are best bought in small quantities and eaten soon.
Bonbons
Bonbon is the broadest of the three words. In chocolate shops it usually means a bite-sized chocolate with a filling, made either by dipping a centre in chocolate (enrobing) or by casting a thin shell in a mould, filling it, and sealing it.
Fillings can be ganache, caramel, fruit, nut paste or liqueur, so a truffle is technically one kind of bonbon.
Moulded bonbons are the glossy, often hand-painted pieces you see lined up in glass cases. Their shiny shells depend on carefully tempered chocolate.
Pralines: one word, three meanings
- In Belgium, praline is the everyday word for any filled chocolate, essentially what others call a bonbon.
- In France, praliné is a paste of caramelised nuts, usually hazelnuts or almonds, ground until smooth. It is a filling, and a chocolate filled with it may be called a praline.
- In the American South, a praline is a soft, sugary candy made with pecans, butter and cream, often with no chocolate at all.
So if you ask for pralines in New Orleans and in Brussels, you will get two completely different treats.
What to try first
If you are new to a chocolatier, try one plain dark ganache truffle, one caramel bonbon and one nut praline filling. Between them they show off the quality of the chocolate, the maker's caramel skills and their nut work. For keeping them fresh afterwards, see how to store chocolate.
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