Typically, a single bite of chocolate can already leave your tastebuds in decadent frenzy. But there’s now a process available in making these dark, dulcet morsels look as beautiful as they taste.

If you want to know an example of a hologram, just reach for your wallet. You will see holograms on your driver’s license and credit cards, among others. If you don’t have these, just look around your home. They're in CD’s, DVD’s, software packaging, and almost everything sold as "official merchandise."

A company in Switzerland by the name of Morphotonix gave a unique twist to the conventional Swiss chocolate-making. Shiny holograms are imprinted onto the surface of the decadent chocolates, without the harmful ingredients, of course.

That said, rainbow stars and swirly patterns will shimmer and dance in the light on the sweet treats’ surface as you tilt them from one side to another. Usually, holograms are laser-imprinted onto a flat, metallic surface like aluminum. The rainbow-laced hologram will show when light hits the surface at a particular angle.

Does aluminum-dipped chocolate catch your fancy? I don’t think so. So, confectioners pour the chocolate into a mold etched with a patchwork of minuscule bumps, or microstructures, that bend light at specific angles, and that embeds a hologram directly onto the chocolate’s surface.

"We took the approach of doing what people know how to do with chocolate — mold it," Morphotonix CEO Veronica Savu said. They etched microstructures into a metal master mold, and they made use of it to make the plastic molds for shaping the sweet treats.

It doesn't work for every type of chocolate though. A square of chocolate consists of millions of tiny grains, and the size of those grains differs according to the type of chocolate. Only particular sizes will fit in the microstructure molds. The fat crystallizes while the chocolate hardens in the mold. Also, the crystals must be the right size.

The effect of the hologram also relies upon the type of chocolate. White chocolate is able to reflect light more, hence the shinier surface. However, dark chocolate boasts of a more stunning backdrop for the rainbow of colors.

Count on more chocolates that are as visually pleasing as they are palate pleasing.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Joanna Maligaya

Staff Writer/Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

Ever since she can remember, Joanna has always considered chocolate as the ultimate food for her soul. She believes in the saying, “9 out of 10 people love chocolate, and the 10th always lies.”

Latest posts by Joanna Maligaya (see all)

• Whipped Cream Chocolate Frosting Recipe - December 3, 2014
• Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Recipe - November 26, 2014
• Broiled Banana Chocolate Pudding Recipe - November 19, 2014