Mozart chocolate row leaves bitter taste in Austria
But Leschanz is in the minority these days, and with the number of brands rising, the chocolate balls beloved by tourists and locals alike are often no longer even produced in Austria. US food giant Mondelez, which owns one of the most recognizable brands, moved its production from the Austrian city of Salzburg -- Mozart's birthplace -- to Eastern Europe last month, reigniting a heated and long-running marketing debate.
'It's a shame, because Mozart balls are an Austrian product,' head confectioner and owner Wolfgang Leschanz, 75, told AFP. At his firm, 10 time-honored steps are required to make one single Mozartkugel and about 20,000 of the delicacies are freshly made to order each year.
Only one 'original'
Invented by confectioner Paul Fuerst in Salzburg in 1890, the Mozartkugel became popular in Europe after winning a gold medal at a Paris food fair in 1905. Fuerst's great-great-grandson Martin now owns the business, which produces around 3.5 million handmade balls annually, still in Salzburg and still using the traditional recipe. Fuerst chocolates can now be ordered online for delivery across the European Union.
But with rising popularity have come imitators and an array of knockoffs, different fillings, wrappings, names -- and also competing claims and legal disputes. The Fuerst family had to fight for years for recognition of their 'Original Salzburger Mozartkugel' wrapped in silver foil with blue print -- including in the courts -- because their progenitor made the mistake of not protecting his creation in the first place.
Wolfgang Leschanz displays handmade Mozartkugel chocolates.
An employee of the Leschanz chocolate factory works on handmade Mozartkugel chocolates.
An employee of the Leschanz chocolate factory works on handmade Mozartkugel chocolates.
An employee of the Leschanz chocolate factory works on handmade Mozartkugel chocolates.
Wolfgang Leschanz displays handmade Mozartkugel chocolates.
Andreas Heindl, managing director of chocolate maker Heindl, one of the producers of Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates, poses for a picture at the Heindl plant.
Andreas Heindl poses for a picture at the Heindl plant.
Employees of chocolate maker Heindl work at the Heindl plant.
An employee of chocolate maker Heindl works at the Heindl plant.
Employees of chocolate maker Heindl work at the Heindl plant.
Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates are seen at the Heindl plant.
Packages with "Real Salzburger Mozarkugeln" (Mozart chocolate balls) made by Mirabell are on display in a souvenir shop "Mostly Mozart" in Vienna.
Shelves are full of boxes of "Real Salzburger Mozarkugeln" (Mozart chocolate balls) made by Mirabell in a souvenir shop "Mostly Mozart".
A picture of confectioner Paul Fuerst, inventor of the authentic Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates, and documents on the manufacturer's history, are seen at Cafe Konditorei Fuerst in Salzburg, Austria.
Kerstin, an employee at Cafe Konditorei Fuerst, displays original handmade Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates at Cafe Konditorei Fuerst in Salzburg.
Kerstin displays original handmade Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates at Cafe Konditorei Fuerst.
Kerstin displays original handmade Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates at Cafe Konditorei Fuerst.
Kerstin displays original handmade Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates.
Boxes of handmade Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates are on display.
A man cycles past the Salzburg shop of Reber, German heavyweight producer of Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates in Salzburg, Austria.
An employee of the Leschanz chocolate factory wraps a handmade Mozartkugel chocolate.
Mozart chocolates do not have protected designation of origin status, a European protection for food-related products from certain geographical areas, such as champagne and parmesan cheese. Even German heavyweight Reber, which produces 500,000 balls daily just across the border from Salzburg, is allowed to call its Mozart balls 'authentic', even if it cannot use the term 'original'.
Contacted by AFP, Mondelez International, formerly known as Kraft Foods, declined to reveal where within its 'European network' it began manufacturing the newly launched 'Authentic Mirabell Mozartkugeln' in April. For decades, the group's chocolates had been made at a plant in Salzburg -- but the facility closed last year after teetering on the brink of bankruptcy for years.
Citing high cocoa prices and rising costs for energy, Mondelez said its Mirabell brand was 'a real gem' but the weight of the products had to be reduced slightly 'to remain competitive'. Mondelez's Mozart balls currently sell for about $0.50 apiece, while one of Leschanz's handmade confections costs more than seven times that amount. The Pro-Ge trade union, representing more than 60 workers laid off when the Salzburg plant closed, criticized Mondelez's 'lack of transparency' about its new production site. 'The supply chain of an egg can be traced better than that,' it said.
'Flagship product'
Viennese chocolatier Heindl also voiced concern about Austria's emblematic confection being produced 'somewhere in Eastern Europe'. 'The Mozartkugel is a flagship product of Austria, just like the Sachertorte chocolate cake or the apple strudel or the poppy seed strudel,' managing director Andreas Heindl, 63, told AFP. 'When someone comes to Austria, they want to take Austrian products home with them, especially when it's Mozartkugeln,' said Heindl, whose father founded the firm.
He said he could not imagine moving production abroad to save money, even with cocoa prices tripling hitting businesses hard. Leschanz likened Mozart balls produced outside Austria to a 'souvenir cup emblazoned with Mozart's portrait' that is bought in haste only for the purchaser to discover it says 'Made in China' on the bottom.--AFP
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The Fuerst family had to fight for years for recognition of their 'Original Salzburger Mozartkugel' wrapped in silver foil with blue print -- including in the courts -- because their progenitor made the mistake of not protecting his creation in the first place. Wolfgang Leschanz displays handmade Mozartkugel chocolates. An employee of the Leschanz chocolate factory works on handmade Mozartkugel chocolates. An employee of the Leschanz chocolate factory works on handmade Mozartkugel chocolates. An employee of the Leschanz chocolate factory works on handmade Mozartkugel chocolates. Wolfgang Leschanz displays handmade Mozartkugel chocolates. Andreas Heindl, managing director of chocolate maker Heindl, one of the producers of Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates, poses for a picture at the Heindl plant. Andreas Heindl poses for a picture at the Heindl plant. Employees of chocolate maker Heindl work at the Heindl plant. An employee of chocolate maker Heindl works at the Heindl plant. 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Kerstin displays original handmade Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates. Boxes of handmade Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates are on display. A man cycles past the Salzburg shop of Reber, German heavyweight producer of Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) chocolates in Salzburg, Austria. An employee of the Leschanz chocolate factory wraps a handmade Mozartkugel chocolate. Mozart chocolates do not have protected designation of origin status, a European protection for food-related products from certain geographical areas, such as champagne and parmesan cheese. Even German heavyweight Reber, which produces 500,000 balls daily just across the border from Salzburg, is allowed to call its Mozart balls 'authentic', even if it cannot use the term 'original'. Contacted by AFP, Mondelez International, formerly known as Kraft Foods, declined to reveal where within its 'European network' it began manufacturing the newly launched 'Authentic Mirabell Mozartkugeln' in April. 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