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The chocolate should be slightly softened; otherwise the shavings will break when cut. The chocolate should have a good cocoa butter content. Chocolate with a high cocoa content is more difficult to work with. The piece of chocolate should also be a good size so that the shavings have a nice dimension.
You can use a grater, a crenellated comb or a metal spatula. Just grate the block of chocolate along the length to produce a nice curl.
The greater the pressure, the thicker the shaving. The larger the surface used for the cut, the more the shaving will roll up like a rosebud.
Chocolate shavings are used to decorate cakes and other pastries.
Small short movements with light pressure give less shaped shavings. This is the technique used to cover a Black Forest cake.