http://www.monkeychocolate.com/chocolate/european-chocolate/swiss-chocolate/ Swiss chocolate has had a long and varied history, and when most of us think Swiss chocolate we think Toblerone! en-us Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:54:49 EDT Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:54:49 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 Not only do the Swiss make some of the best chocolate in the world, they also consume more chocolate percapita than any other country in the world. The Swiss eat about 22 pounds of chocolate per person every year and that is about twice the amount that Americans do! But now, since it is easier than ever for us to find a Swiss chocolate bar right here in the good ole US of A, we might catch up to their consumption in a hurry! Great men in Swiss chocolate history The very first chocolate factory in Switzerland was opened way back in 1819 by Francois Louis Callier, but what he produced was a far cry from the Swiss chocolate we know today. There was still a lot of work to be done before Swiss chocolate would contend with all other countries as the best European chocolate. To this day there is still a choclate that bears Callier's name. Later on, in 1876, something happened to European chocolate by a Swiss native to whom we are all now greatly indebted to. Why are we indebted to him? That's easy - he invented a way to make milk chocolate. It may sound rudimentary now that it would be a major breakthrough, but for those of us who love our Swiss chocolate in the milk variety, life would not be the same without it. This was not an easy feat to accomplish either. he was trying to make a mroe creamy and pliable chocolate, but if you add water to chocolate it breaks up and really becomes worthless. So the first time he added milk to chocolate the same thing happened because there is water in the milk. It took Daniel Peter 8 years to come up with the method for it to work. Finally he used milk that had had the water taken out of it and now we can enjoy Swiss chocolates creamier and smoother that the early days of Swiss chocolates! In 1913, the process of making the fine smaller European chocolates was simplified as well. Jules Sechaud came up with a machine that would fill the chocolates for you. This made chocolates easier to be made and so improved productivity and that meant one thing - more chocolates for everyone! Think about that next time you sit down to a nice hot cup of Swiss hot chocolate... Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:54:49 EDT http://www.monkeychocolate.com/chocolate/european-chocolate/swiss-chocolate/swiss-hot-chocolate/ Swiss hot chocolate takes the traditional drink we grew up with to new heights. This winter, indulge in a nice steamy cup of Swiss hot chocolate. en-us Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:54:49 EDT Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:54:49 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 http://www.monkeychocolate.com/chocolate/european-chocolate/swiss-chocolate/swiss-chocolate-bar/ A Swiss chocolate bar goes above and beyond your average candy bar - and these days you can find a Swiss chocolate bar in many stores. en-us Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:54:49 EDT Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:54:49 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0