Aigner Chocolates, Inc. Fine quality, handmade chocolates since 1930.
About the Company
Aigner Chocolates bears the standard
of the highest quality chocolatiers and confectioners in the United States. As one of the few small-scale,
family manufacturer-retailers – an elite group representing only 0.5% of the
entire confectionery industry in America – is admired (and several times
imitated) by the rest of the industry due to our consistent retail success and
customer satisfaction. We have acquired a taste for perfection, which we infuse
into each handmade piece.
From the masters of Austria, who used only the best ingredients
and adhered to time-honored recipes, the Aigner chocolatiering tradition came
to the U.S. in 1960 when the family acquired
Krause’s Candy Kitchen (established 1930) in Queens, New York, as well as Martha’s Candy Kitchen,
Queens’ oldest chocolate store (1915).
Ever mindful of new ideas and
opportunities, the family has adapted and perfected the rich and complex flavor
of European-style chocolate to complement the vibrant young palate of the American
consumer. In the early ‘90s, the torch was passed to a younger generation of
Aigners who, carrying on the tradition of family confectionery, renamed the
company Aigner Chocolates, Inc.
About the Chocolate
Aigner chocolates are primarily
crafted in a traditional Austrian style, however many of these recipes have
been refined over the past three generations.
At the most basic level, Austrian
chocolate differs from French, Swiss and Belgian styles in that most pieces do
not involve ganache (a mixture of chocolate and cream) or the very perishable
creams and butters required for some ateliers.
Austrian confection also tends to have richer centers, smooth with very vibrant
flavoring. Marzipan, popular around the holidays, is among the more famous
aspects of the Austrian chocolate world, as it is for Aigner Chocolates.
Simple, conservative rules are
followed in the kitchen. Consistency, high-quality ingredients, freshness and
careful, unrushed cooking and processing are paramount. Shortcuts or cheap
substitute ingredients are never used to stretch profits. The family relies on a
collection of small suppliers with whom they share a long and successful
history. Aigner Chocolates works continuously to ensure the successful of Old World flavors and styles.
And while the chocolate is for
everyone’s enjoyment, the recipes remain under lock-and-key. This is the family’s
greatest secrets.
Visiting the Store – Note from the
Family
We hope you’ll come visit our store
when you’re in the New York metropolitan area. Many of our products
available for sale in our Queens location are not available online. Also, we seasonally
change the entire look of the store to reflect the holidays – winning prizes
year over year for interior design and store displays.
