Belgium is famous for its chocolate, but if you're East Flanders to visit Ghent, you might want to…read morelook into getting some of Ghent nose candies. Gentse neus, also known as Ghent noses or cuberdons, is (according to our tour guide) a popular local delicacy. The recipe was said to have been first made in the 19th century with arabic gum and sugar, and flavored by fruit and flowers. A member of our group recommended biting off the top of the cone's dry, harder, and gummy tip and sucking out the gooey, jelly center before eating the rest. It takes 5 to 7 days and lasts for about three weeks before the jelly in the center crystalizes. Because of that, you don't really see them sold outside of this part of Europe and is unique to this as an official regional product in this Flemish area. However and because of that, they can be flown back into the US and make great souvenirs and gifts. When we were in Ghent, we saw little bags and boxes of them sold in local souvenir shops in a variety of flavors including raspberry, apple, strawberry, mangoes, licorice, etc. However, we were told those "neuzekes" might not necessarily have the arabic gum. In Groentenmarkt Square, there is De Echte Gentse Neuzen, or The Real Ghent Noses, a cart marketing their "authentic" Ghent noses. It was originally run by Sonny Breine and one of the two carts that were a part of the Neuzekesoorlog, or "little nose war", feud where he and Carl Demeestere competed side by side. Both claimed to sell the real "authentic" recipe and the fight went on for YEARs. The conflict included poaching customers, pointedly getting similar carts, a physical fight, and the mayor and the Chamber of Commerce stepping in with a two-week cart ban and fine for anymore badmouthing respectively. It was hilarious and apparently made national news. XD Sonny isn't the one running the cart anymore, but you can still get the candy! I didn't see the other cart or stand. For a few euros, you can buy a small bag of your chosen flavors (whether you want all of them to be one flavor or a mix), or even get it in a small gift box. The day we went, they had apple, raspberry, and strawberry flavors, and we ended up getting a little of everything. On that day, we didn't see Demeestere's cart/stand? I don't know if it was just the day we went or if something changed, but De Echte Gentse Neuzen was the cart selling "authentic" Ghent Nose to our tour group. So yeah, if you're in the area and looking for a particularly unique experience, gift, or souvenir, I recommend visiting De Echte Gentse Neuzen to try some of this candy. The candy itself admittedly isn't to my personal taste, but I'm glad I tried out all the available flavors. It was fun and really easy to transport back home as it doesn't damage easily. XD

Incredibly delicious! This chocolaterie shined brightly in the sea of chocolate shops near and…read morearound Grote Markt. We couldn't resist it on our way back to our tour meeting point. Our stop here was the best decision ever. We were greeted immediately by a man who I believe is the owner. He was very kind in assisting us with our selections. Everything looked so tempting. He explained that we could create our own box, or select a pre-made box of their popular chocolates. He gave us the number of chocolates by size of box and collector tin. We ended up purchasing the Ypres Salient souvenir tin filled with the most beautiful & decadent Belgian pralines. I've only been able to try the red poppy praline since our return. It was too beautiful to resist it. I detected a little Baileys in the filling. It was amazing! I can't wait to try the rest of the 29 pieces. The store is beautifully decorated just like their chocolates. The service was great! We were also given a seashell chocolate sample as a little teaser which was unexpected. It was a wonderful treat after having a fantastic lunch at a restaurant nearby. Don't miss this experience when visiting the In Flanders Field Museum.

Another review said, "This shop is no different." I respectfully disagree. Peter DeGroote is…read moreabsolutely the best chocolate shop I have ever experienced in many trips to Brussels, Paris, New York City, and even Berkeley and San Francisco, California. First the Chocolate. It is rich, and the varieties are extraordinary. I particularly loved the ginger dark Chocolate with tiny chunks of real fresh ginger. The chocolate truffles are all masterpieces, each with a unique personality that are showcases for Peter DeGroote's artisanal craftsmanship and impeccable tastes. The location is perfect with the Cloth Hall just across the square. Emerging from this shop, with a box of his chocolates, after seeing the affable, handsome Peter DeGroote and his gorgeous wife working together happily and industriously, one feels like they are at the apogee of western civilization.

macaroons are a french delicacy that i never appreciated until my H~ parents took me Guillaume's…read more =9 i had previously considered them artificial sweets...until i had the authentic french creations! THAT started my fascination! hence the 5 stars (slight soft spot!) Guillaume's specialty is a divinely limited selection that rotates every month....everything from the delicate sweetness of lychee to classic raspberry cream~ be sure to pop by~ the people there are extremely friendly! [even if you don't speak french^^]

Was initially only passing by in the area, but got drawn into this Chocolatier by what was on…read moredisplay - simply, the variety and decoration of the chocolates showed skill and design, some of which seemed even excessively. As a chocolate lover, it would have been difficult to resist the lure. Looking in the store, they had some very nice chocolates, some of which seemed to have extremely high cocoa content - from what I remember, up to 90% or thereabouts (not my type of thing, but some people like it bitter). I would say that if you like chocolate but do not want to end up shelling out and buying loads, avoid this place!

I've been there twice; the first time was to buy chocolates to take home as gifts. I also randomly…read morechose a dark chocolate green tea praline to have for myself - big mistake. I returned a few days later and bought a large box of pralines to share and for gifts. This is by far the best chocolate I have ever tasted.

Wonderful chocolates, very, very fresh! Buy as little or as much as you like. Friendly, helpful…read morestaff, adorable gifts too.