While the Swiss were not the first Europeans to manufacture chocolate, they were the people who mastered the art and transformed chocolate into the divine confection it is today. From the time that the first Swiss chocolate factory opened in 1819, the Swiss pursued absolute perfection in chocolate making.

Their quest for innovation led to the marketing of the first milk chocolate in 1875 and the first "melt-on-the tongue" chocolate in 1879. Technological advancements, the finest ingredients, competition between brands, and a national passion for chocolate have ensured that Swiss chocolate remains the best in the world.

So important a product is chocolate to Switzerland's economy that the government established an association of Swiss chocolate manufacturers, known as Chocosuisse, to promote the Swiss chocolate industry and maintain the high quality that has become synonymous with Swiss chocolate.