Austrian chocolate controversy over Mozart sweets strikes a sour note
Mozartkugel inventor Paul Fuerst’s mistake of not protecting his creation allowed imitators and knock-offs to enter the market
Family-owned Leschanz still painstakingly makes the Mozartkugel chocolates by hand before putting them in their signature wrapping, featuring a portrait of Austria’s 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
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 recognisable 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,” said head confectioner and owner Wolfgang Leschanz, 75.