On your trip to Switzerland, be sure to visit the Alps, and stroll through quaint villages. Have a cheese fondue. Yodel if you must. These are all authentic Swiss cultural experiences. But, you'll cheating yourself if you don't, just once, sit down with a big foil-wrapped hunk of Lindt (or Laderach, or just about anything else) and devour it all at one sitting. Eat it by itself, or, as Europeans often do, with bread--make it a do-it-yourself chocolate croissant. Wash it down with coffee, or just savor it by itself. Eat it any way you'd like--just do it! You're on vacation.
Yes, you can get top Swiss brands in the United States. But--can chocolate suffer from jet lag?--something just seems to get lost. If you've been existing on a diet of Hershey bars (a fine product; don't get us wrong), you're in for a taste sensation. Europeans love a good creamy milk chocolate, which should melt in the mouth like butter--because it is, in fact, largely composed of cocoa butter. If you're ready for something even more intense, try a bit of dark, bittersweet chocolate. What do you taste--fruit? Wine? Spices? It's not your imagination. Fine chocolate, like wine, is full of complex and surprising flavors.
For a pure cream experience, there's always white chocolate, made without cocoa. Some feel this makes it an imposter in the chocolate world. Others feel nothing is better than this pure creamy treat.
Don't know where to start? Looking for something new? Here's a listing of some of our favorites.
Lindt
A favorite among purists, Lindt makes the classic gourmet chocolate bar. Some come with truffle fillings, and some are studded with nuts. But hardcore chocolate freaks go for the unadorned milk, dark, or white-chocolate bars.
Laderach
In the tradition of See's, or Godiva, Laderach specializes in boxed sets of bite-sized confections. Not sure what's inside? No matter. You can't go wrong.
Toblerone
You've probably had this one at home, too. But don't miss the chance to bite into one of those distinctive triangular bars in its native land, where you'll find it fresh.
These are just a few of the better-known brands. For a real local treat, stop into any confiserie you find in Switzerland. Every town has at least one. Here you'll find high quality, hand-made chocolate the likes of which are difficult to find in the United States. Go ahead, you owe it to yourself. It's a European tradition!•
