Chocolate consumption, manufacturing and quality in western Europe and the United States

In this article we examine why chocolate consumption patterns and understandings of quality vary significantly between the United States and Western Europe on the one hand, and among western European countries on the other band. We argue that different attitudes towards chocolate and different marketing strategies by chocolate manufacturers explain much of the difference in consumption patterns. In many continental European countries, chocolate is considered a serious food rather than an indulgence, and consumers demand both tradition and innovation to a much larger degree than in the United States Differences in understandings of quality can largely be explained through the history of chocolate manufacturing in individual countries, with many continental European countries emphasising quality ingredients and quality-oriented manufacturing processes, while many British and US manufacturers prioritise cost over quality. Geography