Swiss Chocolate in Switzerland


For some reason even though Belgian Chocolate has apparently been a thing for some two hundred years longer than Swiss Chocolate, Swiss Chocolate is way more of A Thing.

Though, admittedly Switzerland was where something called "conche", which is a chocolate production thing you haven't heard of was invented. some guy called Daniel Peter invented (or close enough) milk chocolate using powdered milk to stave off the mould issue. You've heard of milk chocolate though.

And Daniel Peter had some help from some guy called Henri Nestlé and I'm sure you've heard of them too, multinational monolithic juggernaut that they are. There's some interesting things about the rise of chocolate around, and how chocolate bars became a thing, transforming it from a luxury item for rich people to the affordable junk snack it is often today. I saw a doco once. You should look that stuff up.

Famous for so many things, yes; watches, cheese, army knives, oh my.

"Everyone loves chocolate / Nine out of ten people like chocolate; the tenth is lying." says some Swiss tourism website.

So in the spirit of all that is Swiss here I am with a mass produced chocolate bar, simultaneously not at all and very, very the epitome of Swiss Chocolate.

 I'm in Bern. Which is a really stunning town. No, really. Just a shame we weren't there for long enough and that we managed to hit the town just in time for a public holiday so all the shops were closed. Which is probably good because the Swiss Franc is another thing they are famous for. Also, we spent the time walking around the heritage listed streets and strolling down to the river across a high stone bridge (where I photographed a shopping trolly staunchly holding its ground in a torrent of water) and the river and bike/walking path.

That tourism website and even specifically about Bern probably doesn't even mention Bern is the hometown of a famous Tour de France cyclist Fabian Cancellara, which was probably the (eye) candy that my travelling companion was really there for.

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