The self-taught Greek chocolatier who conquered Belgium - Triple award winner

Mina Apostolidis received an award for the third consecutive year from the international gastronomy guide Gault & Millau, which once again included her among the "Best Chocolatiers of Belgium and Luxembourg". But how did a Greek woman win the admiration of experts and such an experienced audience as the Belgians?

Tradition and innovation in perfect balance
MINA Handmade Chocolates has been located in Rhode-Saint-Genèse since 2016, just outside Brussels. There, Mina Apostolidis, who is completely self-taught, is inspired by Greece and her memories and makes special chocolates that combine tradition with innovation: “Chocolate is the food of the gods, the enjoyment and joy of young and old. It is precisely this joy and enjoyment that I try to transform into an unforgettable experience every day,” explains Mina Apostolidis. “My chocolates are made from the best chocolates and the top ingredients from the Mediterranean and the Middle East. My goal is to combine tradition and innovation so that each one tells its own flavor story through my creations. I marry the recipes of my mother, grandmother, and even my great-grandmother with today’s dietary habits and habits,” she emphasizes.

With the best ingredients in the world, 100% handmade
Mina's chocolates and chocolate bars contain almost no sugar and no preservatives or additives. Some are even lactose-free and she also has vegan options. She chooses natural sweeteners, such as honey, and makes most of the ingredients she uses herself in order to ensure a pure and homemade result at every stage. "I make sour cherry liqueur, dry fruit, roast and caramelize the nuts myself," she says. The spices she uses and all the natural aromatic elements come from the best producers and the most specialized markets in the world: cardamom from Asia, rose water from Iran and Lebanon, and so on. The same goes for the rest, in fact, he places special emphasis on Greek PDOs, since the pistachios are from Aegina, the figs from Kymi, the organic olive oil from the Peloponnese, the kumquats from Corfu, etc.

Inspiring combinations with the aroma and taste of Greece
MINA Handmade Chocolates products resemble sculptural jewelry. They have an elegant, refined appearance, carefully sloppy shapes and irregular, colorful touches. They give the feeling of unpretentiousness and absolute naturalness, a feeling that does not only remain in their appearance but continues intact in their taste. Dark chocolate with dried lemon or almond and fig, pralines with tahini and salted, caramelized almonds, mosaic with honey and Santorini vinsanto, truffles with ganache, orange, cinnamon and olive oil, chocolate almond butter rocks and caramelized Aegina pistachios dipped in white chocolate. These are just some of the offerings of this sweet boutique, the content of which is constantly renewed since Mina's imagination is inexhaustible and her search for new products never stops.

"The more I discover excellent raw materials, the more I am inspired to create. Of course, it always has to do with the occasion and the season. That is why many of the things I make are limited edition and in limited quantities. For the holidays, for example, Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day, I always have something unique for those who want to escape the established." However, her Marsmelis are also unique, a very special category of sweets (her own invention) which are in themselves a reason to try MINA Handmade Chocolates. These are small chocolate cubes with a velvety texture and rich flavor. They are made with honey, reminiscent of marshmallows and Turkish delights, and melt in the mouth, flooding the palate with sweetness.

From Sani Gourmet to Flanders and Japan
"I started making my chocolates in my home kitchen until I did a collaboration with Sani Gourmet where in 2009 I found myself among internationally renowned chefs such as Ferran Andria. I ended up in Belgium after my breakup. My new partner was already living there and so I decided to start a new life. Although the competition was huge, I believed that I really had something completely different to offer: Chocolates inspired by the tradition and products of my homeland and by what seems to be "I was right," she says. Her journey, in addition to three consecutive awards from the Gault § Millau guide, includes participation in art exhibitions with works made of chocolate, of course, international taste awards in Greece and Italy, and even placement of her products in the premium Takashimaya department stores in Japan.