To make good chocolate you need the best available cocoa beans.
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Long-standing relationships with growers all over the world are important for the quality of the harvest.
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The fermented beans are cleaned and roasted at the plant in Schwyz, then the cocoa beans are broken into pieces.
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The roasting step is adapted to the individual characteristics of the cocoa beans.
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The nibs are then gently ground in three steps until the cells open up to release the cocoa butter.
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The cocoa butter melts because of the frictional heat created. The result is a viscous, dark brown mass of pure cocoa.
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The mass is then mixed with sugar, powdered milk and some additional cocoa butter, depending on the kind of chocolate being made.
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The ingredients are kneaded until they form a thick, solid paste.
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This dough is further refined and milled until it becomes dry and powdery and is then filled into the conches.
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Felchling uses three generation of conches, this one being the oldest, made according to Rudolf Lindt, dating back to 1879.
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During the long conching times of up to 72 hours the aromas of the chocolates slowly evolve.
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The complex aromas of cocoa require an expert nose and experience, similar to the way wine connoisseurs taste wine.
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The finished product is called couverture. It is packaged to the different uses of clients and the industry.
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Small and medium-sized chocolate droplets are packaged for industrial clients...
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hotels and gastronomy alike, while the more traditional confectioners...
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still prefer the big block couvertures. The chances are, if you eat chocolate in Switzerland...
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you have had chocolate made by Max Felchlin in Schwyz.
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Though the name may not be familiar, they are the main Swiss chocolate producer supplying premium chocolate.
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They supply chocolate to confectioners, bakers and chocolatiers around the world.
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Max Josef Felchlin founded Felchin in 1908. From a simple beginning importing honey, the company grew into a chocolate factory that today supplies bakers and pastry chefs, confectioners and industrial cake producers around the world.
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Thomas Kern was born in Switzerland in 1965. Trained as a photographer in Zürich, he started working as a photojournalist in 1989. He was a founder of the Swiss photographers agency Lookat Photos in 1990. Thomas Kern has won twice a World Press Award and has been awarded several Swiss national scholarships. His work has been widely exhibited and it is represented in various collections.
Felchlin carries out every step of production in Schwyz, following a traditional process. Noble Criollo cocoa beans form the basis of the Grand Cru couvertures. Traditional roasting – carried out in small batches – allows the cocoa to fully develop its character. (All images: Thomas Kern / swissinfo.ch)
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The health claims surrounding chocolate are many and various, bombarding consumers with “evidence” that it can help prevent cancer, cure coughs, stave off heart disease, produce a general sense of well-being and even stimulate flagging sex lives. Many of these claims are yet to be proven and some have been scientifically dismissed as urban myths.…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.