Swiss chocolate is the name given to any chocolate product which
is made in Switzerland. It has been produced there since the 17thcentury
and is now regarded as one of the quality chocolate production countries around
the world. Only chocolate which originates within the country can carry the label of being Swiss chocolate and there are a number of top companies which produce high quality products which are made there.
Chocolate production started in a small number of areas such as
the Ticino region in the 18th century, but the 19th and
20th centuries saw an explosion of companies being launched
including such well-known names as Lindt chocolate which is famous for its beautifully crafted truffles. Once only
eaten within Switzerland, the chocolate started to be known outside its borders
and by the end of the 19th century it was starting to be eaten in a
number of different parts of the globe.
From the beginning of the 20th century and through to
the end of World War II, the industry became export-oriented but after the end
of the war, production started to outsourced. This was due to commercial issues
and restrictions which were in place.
Swiss chocolate is still mostly eaten within Switzerland with over
half of it remaining in the country, despite its popularity around the world
for its smooth taste and high quality. Rather surprisingly, Switzerland holds
the record for the most amount of chocolate eaten per capita of population;
they eat 11.6kg or 25.6 pounds per person each year.
Around 150,000 tonnes of Swiss chocolate is produced each year and
after the 54% which stays in the country, the remaining chocolate is exported
with Germany, France, the USA and the United Kingdom being the largest
importers. Gross income from this one product alone brings in almost 1.5
billion Swiss Francs and it is viewed as a national symbol of being a world
leader in the confectionery industry.
With the choice of bars with the pleasurable cracking sound when broken
or the array of handmade truffles available from the shops both inside
Switzerland and further afield, this product is seen as one which denotes
luxury. When the ‘union libre des fabricants suisses de chocolat‘ mark of
authenticity was launched in 1901, those industry leaders at the time knew that
they were protecting a quality product which would go on to give pleasure to
millions of people for years to come.
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