Ganache, Truffle, Bark: What the Different Chocolates Actually Are

Quick answer: Ganache is a smooth mixture of chocolate and cream. It is the soft centre inside a truffle and many filled chocolates. A truffle is a ball of firm ganache with a coating, while bark is solid chocolate spread thin and topped with nuts, fruit or something crunchy.

Open a box of assorted chocolates and you will find a little vocabulary lesson inside. Truffle, praline, bonbon, ganache, bark: the words are used everywhere, often interchangeably, and it is not always clear what each one means or why one chocolate feels soft and melting while another snaps cleanly in two.

This guide explains the most common chocolate terms in plain language, starting with ganache, because once you understand ganache, most of the others fall into place. We make all of these chocolates here in Singapore, so along the way we will point out where you will find each one in our own range.

What Is Ganache?

Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream, stirred together until it becomes completely smooth and glossy. Warm cream is poured over chopped chocolate, the heat melts the chocolate, and the two are blended into a single silky emulsion. Sometimes a little butter is added for extra richness, and flavours such as coffee, fruit or spices can be infused into the cream before it is mixed in.

What makes chocolate ganache so useful is that its texture depends on the balance of chocolate to cream. With roughly equal amounts of each, it stays soft and spoonable, ideal for filling chocolates or glazing a cake. With about twice as much chocolate as cream, it sets firm enough to be rolled into truffles. With more cream, it becomes a pourable sauce. The same two ingredients can produce a filling, a coating or a dessert in its own right.

The name is French, and the story most often told is that ganache was discovered by accident in Paris in the 1800s, when warm cream was spilled into a bowl of chocolate. Whether or not that is true, it has been at the heart of fine chocolate ever since. You will find it in our chocolate tart, a buttery tart filled with silky ganache and finished with a crunchy almond topping.

What Is a Chocolate Truffle?

A chocolate truffle is a small ball of firm ganache, rolled and finished with a coating. That coating might be cocoa powder, a thin shell of chocolate, chopped nuts or something more playful. The name comes from its resemblance to the truffle mushroom, which is also small, round and dusted with earth, and the comparison has stuck for well over a century.

Because the centre is made with cream, a truffle is soft and melting in a way a solid bar never is. It is also why truffles are best enjoyed fresh. Our fresh chocolate truffle box brings together creamy, fruity, nutty and rich flavours, and is a lovely way to try several at once.

Pralines, Bonbons and Filled Chocolates

This is where chocolate terms get confusing, because the same word means different things in different countries. In Belgium and much of Europe, a praline is a filled chocolate: a chocolate shell with a soft centre, such as ganache, caramel or a nut paste. In France and the United States, praline more often means nuts cooked in caramelised sugar, or the smooth paste made by grinding them.

A bonbon is simply a general name for a small, bite-sized filled chocolate, and filled chocolate covers the whole family. What they share is a contrast of textures, with a crisp outside giving way to something soft within. Our Pick and Mix gift chocolates are filled chocolates of this kind, and you can start with a box of just four to find your favourites.

What Is Chocolate Bark?

Chocolate bark is solid chocolate that is spread out thinly, scattered with toppings while it is still soft, then left to set and broken into irregular pieces. The toppings can be nuts, dried fruit, seeds, biscuit or anything that adds crunch or colour. Because there is no cream inside, bark keeps far longer than ganache or truffles, and it travels well.

Bark is also one of the easiest chocolates to share, because it is meant to be broken and passed around. Our craft chocolate bark is handcrafted with crisp, layered textures and a few surprises in every piece.

How to Choose Chocolate for Yourself or as a Gift

Once you know the terms, choosing becomes much easier. If you love soft, melting textures, look for truffles and filled chocolates. If you prefer a clean snap and an intense chocolate flavour, choose a solid bar, especially one of our dark chocolate bars. If you want something to share, or something that needs to last a while, bark and solid bars are the safest choice.

For gifts, think about timing as well as taste. Fresh chocolates such as truffles and filled chocolates are best given soon after you buy them, so check the best-before date on the box. Bars and bark can be bought further ahead.

Whatever you choose, keep chocolate in a cool, dry place away from strong smells and direct sunlight. In Singapore’s heat and humidity, an air-conditioned room is ideal, and fresh chocolates with cream centres should be enjoyed promptly.

Finding the Chocolate You Like Best

Ganache is chocolate and cream, a truffle is ganache rolled and coated, a praline or filled chocolate is a shell with a soft centre, and bark is solid chocolate spread thin and topped. Knowing the difference helps you choose the texture you enjoy and the chocolate that suits the occasion. If you would like a recommendation for a gift or have a question about any of our chocolates, reach out to us and our team will help.

Every chocolate in this guide is handcrafted at our own facility, and CHOCOELF has been crafting artisanal chocolate in Singapore from 2005. You can browse everything we make on the CHOCOELF homepage.

Browse our dark chocolate, truffles and assorted boxes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ganache

What exactly is ganache?

Ganache is a smooth mixture of chocolate and cream, made by pouring warm cream over chopped chocolate and stirring until glossy. It is used to fill chocolates, make truffles and glaze cakes and tarts.

What is the difference between ganache and frosting?

Ganache is made from chocolate and cream, while frosting is usually made by whipping butter or cream cheese with sugar. Ganache tastes richer and less sweet, and it sets firmer as it cools.

Does ganache set hard?

Ganache firms up as it cools, but it stays softer than solid chocolate. The more chocolate it contains in relation to cream, the firmer it sets.

What does ganache taste like?

Ganache tastes like a smoother, creamier version of the chocolate it is made from. It is rich and melts easily on the tongue, and it often carries extra flavours such as coffee, fruit or spice.

Is a truffle the same as a praline?

Not quite. A truffle is a ball of firm ganache with a coating, while a praline, in the Belgian sense, is a chocolate shell filled with a soft centre. In France and the United States, praline can also mean caramelised nuts.