The short answer: They used to. But let’s delve deeper shall we?

Why is Switzerland so world renowned for their chocolate?

The chocolate bar as we know it was invented in Bristol England by Fry & Sons in 1847. It started off as a mixture of cocoa powder (which was used for drinking chocolate at the time), sugar, and cocoa butter (the fat of the cacao bean which was a waste product back then, and a by-product from producing cocoa powder).

Eventually, chocolate was, and still is today, made by grinding up the whole cocoa nib (kernel of the cacao bean) with sugar into a paste and shaped into a bar. However, due to the technology at the time the chocolate bar was invented in the mid 19th Century, the chocolate bar was very gritty. It was unlike the smooth silky creamy texture we are used to today. The Swiss changed all that.

The conche by Lindt

In 1879, Rudolph Lindt (recognize the last name?) invented a machine called a conche. This conche was a machine that was better able to grind up the cacao and sugar particles to a particle size that was not detectable by the human mouth.

This size would be under 30 microns, and the resulting chocolate was so smooth they marketed it as “Chocolat du Fondant”. Due to this, the Swiss became very well known as everyone wanted this new, melt in your mouth, silky smooth chocolate.

The conche today also allows for refined flavour development. A modern conche allows one to control the heat and movement of the chocolate, and allows for more fine tuning of flavour such as reducing less favorable aromas.

Milk chocolate by Daniel Peters

But we are not done yet. 1879 was a big year for both chocolate and Swiss chocolate makers. Grinding up a high fat seed like cacao (which is about 50% fat) releases all this fat from within the cell walls, and the ground up cacao seed and sugar becomes a thick paste, much like peanut butter or almond butter. Chocolate is essentially a nut butter containing fat with very unique properties that allows it to solidify at room temperature, and melt just below body temperature.

Due to this high fat content, any ingredients which are ground up with the cacao nibs (such as the sugar) needs to be in a dry, moisture-free state. Therefore, liquids cannot be added to the ground up cacao bean paste, and that includes milk to make milk chocolate. Milk as an ingredient was added to chocolate for nearly 200 years prior to 1879, however, this is when chocolate was still taken in its original form: a water based drink, and not a chocolate bar. Chocolate bars are a high fat, virtually water free product. Liquids can’t be mixed into it. So how is milk chocolate made then if milk can’t be added to it?

In the 19th Century, Switzerland had a lot of cows, and a lot of milk! They had so much milk they were looking for ways to store it. Henri Nestle was a chemist who found a way to preserve all this excess milk by drying it out, and invented milk powder in 1867. Here is where it got exciting. In 1879 Daniel Peters, a Swiss chocolate manufacturer used this milk powder in the creation of a new chocolate product: milk chocolate. He blended this milk powder into the cocoa nib and sugar mixture, and refined it into a smooth chocolate milky bar. Why would he add it to the chocolate? Milk powder was marketed as something that could be rehydrated and fed to infants. Milk has been used to fortify foods and meals, so it’s no wonder it would be fortified into chocolate as well.

So in 1879 not only did Switzerland create the smoothest chocolate bar in the world, as we know it today, but also invented milk chocolate. They were known for producing smooth, creamy, milky chocolate that won the hearts of people around the world.

So what about Swiss chocolate Today?

It’s true that we owe it to the Swiss for how they revolutionized chocolate back in the 19th Century. However, all good things come to an end. As Switzerland (and not unlike Belgium) has built up a name for themselves over the years, that name slowly became synonymous with fine chocolate. Once the world was conditioned to this fact, and as well known Swiss chocolate makers grew their business, there was a point where quality took a backseat to marketing and profit. Now every good business needs to have a solid profit margin in order to sustain itself and grow, as businesses should. However, there’s a tipping point to grow and quality when it comes to food.

The tipping point

When it comes to food, whether chocolate manufacturer or restaurant, there is a limit to how large a food company can grow before quality begins to dip. It’s inevitable. And since many Swiss brands today are enormous as far as how much chocolate they produce, and how large their marketing budget is, it’s no surprise that the quality has also dipped. In fact, to me, when I see a chocolate bar that is made in Switzerland or Belgium, a red flag goes up for me. I assume it won’t be terrible, but it’s also safe for me to assume it will taste like standard commercial chocolate, not the best chocolate.

So is Swiss chocolate not good?

The Swiss also invented Toblerone. I mean, who doesn’t like weirdly shaped chocolate bars?

First, let me remind you that the Swiss people consume the most chocolate in the world. They eat over 5 kilos a per person, versus just over 2 kilos for the average American. So obviously, the Swiss are producing some tasty chocolate! However, like I always say, quality chocolate requires 2 components: fine cacao and a skillful maker. Therefore, fine chocolate can be found anywhere in the world you have a chocolate maker whose got the skills, and also has their hands on some incredible, fine, aromatic cacao beans. They will be unstoppable! And these skills today can be found around the world thanks to how easily we can share knowledge and skills these days. No long are they locked away within a country or trade, holding on to generational trade secrets. The knowledge is out there, and those who find it, regardless of where they live, make incredible chocolate!

There’s no doubt to me there are small-scale fine artisan chocolate makers in Switzerland (or who will pop up soon) who know what they are doing, and do it well. Who source very fine aromatic cacao and turn it into a bar with a melody of flavour. However, Switzerland isn’t the only place to find this. I encourage you to use the Bean To Bar World App to locate one of these either in Switzerland or in your home country for that matter.

A huge industry of Switzerland is pumping out commercial grade chocolate at various qualities. If I’m a chocolatier, and I want a nice couverture, I may choose a Swiss brand, because, truth is, some brands do produce a very nice couverture (chocolate intended to be used by chocolatiers). However, I will also know it is not the best, because as a chocolatier, I wouldn’t be able to afford the best for what it is I do. Using the best chocolate will force me to sell my truffles at $6-8 a piece, and it will be out of reach for most people. Therefore, chocolatiers go for the best they can afford, which is often high grade commercial chocolate, not the best chocolate. .

Country of origin doesn’t particularly matter anymore

Check out the Bean To Bar World Map App to locate craft chocolate close to where you live.

The bottom line is, don’t assume chocolate made in Switzerland (or Belgium, or France, or Italy) is the best, or the highest quality, because it is a hit and a miss. Belgium, Switzerland, and France produce a huge amount of chocolate, especially for chocolatiers, most of which is your average commercial quality chocolate. Not terrible, but nothing special, and not worth the price tag in some cases. Compared to fine craft bean to bar chocolate, it is not even in the same planet of quality.

The country of where a chocolate is made is not longer a reliable factor in determining quality. In fact, I’d much rather purchased an American or South Korean brand of fine chocolate than a long-time, mass produced, Swiss chocolate. But as you can tell, I’m not your average commercial chocolate consumer. Once you get a taste of authentic quality, it’s very hard to go back!

Does Switzerland really produce the best chocolate in the world?