History of chocolate
Though Switzerland is famous for its chocolate, many would be surprised to learn that Switzerland doesn’t grow the cacao beans necessary for making this delectable treat. This is because cacao trees need a very specific climate to thrive. These include:
- A maximum annual average of 30-32ºC (86-89ºF) and a minimum average of 18-21ºC (64-70ºF). The average temperature of Switzerland ranges from 0-19ºC (32-65ºF).
- Ideal humidity for cacao trees is above 80 percent. In Switzerland, the average is in the 70s percent.
- An annual rainfall level of between 150 cm and 200 cm (59-79 inches) is generally preferred. While Switzerland is near this range at a 260-cm (102-inch) average, the weather varies greatly between places and times of the year, and cacao trees require consistency year-round.
When the second industrial revolution occurred during the 19th century, the pace of colonization rapidly accelerated, creating a growth of trade networks around the globe. This not only resulted in increased access to exotic foods (e.g., cacao beans) but it also led to the creation of new technologies to aid with the production of novel food products. In 1819, François-Louis Cailler founded the first mechanized chocolate production facility, and in 1875 Daniel Peter (Cailler’s son-in-law) and his neighbor Henri Nestlé debuted the first milk chocolate (Peter worked with Nestlé to remove the water from milk, which let them create the milk chocolate). | François-Louis Cailler (1796-1852). Photo courtesy of Chocosuisse. |
A day of chocolate
Confiserie Sprüngli
The first stop of the day was Confiserie Sprüngli. Founded in 1836, Confiserie Sprüngli (or for short, Sprüngli) is a Swiss luxury confectionery manufacturer known internationally for their signature macarons called Luxemburgerli. Luxemburgerli are smaller and lighter than regular macarons and, in my opinion, much tastier.
The Sprüngli store we visited was located on Bahnhofstrasse and Paradeplatz in downtown Zürich, which is the main store of the company. We were given the chance to select three Luxemburgerli to try, but I lucked out and was given four instead. Clockwise from top left: Champagne deluxe, chocolate, mandarin, black forest delux (the Luxemburgerli of the month) |
The second stop on our tour was Teuscher, the place to go for truffles in Switzerland. The store we went to was located on Storchengasse 9, and it is the company’s flagship store (the company was founded in 1932). Teuscher’s signature confections are the Champagne Truffles, the first of its kind, but unfortunately I did not realize that at the time so neglected to make that one of the three truffles I chose. I didn’t actually know what truffles I was getting initially, until the lady behind the counter translated the German for me.
The last place we visited on the tour was Café Conditorei Schober (this webpage is in German, but Google Chrome can translate it for you). Long story short, a confectionary has been in that area since 1890, and eventually the pastry shop was rented to Teuscher, but the agreement dissolved in 2008. In 2009, the restaurant on Napfgasse 4 reopened under the name “Conditorei Schober.”
So concludes the posts on my trip to Switzerland and Germany. Stay tuned for my post on the filmmaking workshop that took place this past week, whenever I can find time to write again!