Is Toblerone Good? Why Is It Famous?
Maybe it’s not the most famous, but it’s the most recognizable chocolate bar in the world. I’m talking about Toblerone. Even if you didn’t try it yet, you could easily recognize it by its shape. Since it comes from the land of chocolates, Switzerland, you may wonder whether the Swiss consider it good and why is it so famous after all?
Toblerone is considered good to average by Swiss due to the high competition. It is famous thanks to its golden, pyramid-shaped package and triangle-shaped chocolate bar with nougat and honeycomb parts. In addition, a famous theory about Toblerone is that you can only find them at the airports.
If you are interested in the story about Toblerone, its quality, name origin, and tips on how to eat it, you came to the right place. I’ll share with you some interesting facts and finally give you the answer to the question why do airports have Toblerone?
Is Toblerone Considered Good in Switzerland?
Swiss love Toblerone because it is some kind of a symbol of their country. They like to give it as a gift and they would happily eat it, but it’s not like Toblerone the only chocolate they eat.
Since the competition is very high when it comes to chocolateries in Switzerland, it is hard to be great, and even harder to be the best. When you are surrounded by many delicious chocolates, Toblerone seems only good. Some of their well-known competitors are Lindt, Cailler and Nestle.
Toblerone’s chocolate and nougat in the center taste delicious and creamy. But what distinguishes Toblerone from other nougat chocolates (besides its shape) are small parts of honeycomb. Honeycomb parts bring sweetness to the chocolate bar, but they are also sticky. Some people consider it an issue since they don’t like anything to stick to their teeth.
It is important to note that not all Toblerone bars are made in their home country. There was even a demand from the Swiss government that Mondelez (parent company of Toblerone) should not include Matterhorn drawing on the packaging if the chocolate bar is made outside Switzerland. Unless it becomes the rule, you can first check the bar that is written on it. If it has a “Made in Switzerland” label, you don’t have to worry whether it’s fully made in Switzerland.
Is Toblerone High Quality Chocolate?
Toblerone is high-quality chocolate since it consists of special, high-quality ingredients. Even though many people confuse little parts in Toblerone with crushed nuts, they are surprised when they have a bite. Those sticky parts are actually honey. Besides honey, there are two more main ingredients – almond nougat and, of course, tasty, decadent chocolate.
There are four types of Toblerone – Classic Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate and Milk Chocolate with Salted Caramelized Almonds.
You can experience the most robust and intense taste while eating Dark Chocolate Toblerone. Classic Milk Chocolate Toblerone comes in the iconic yellow wrapping, and it has a mild, yet sweet taste. White Chocolate Toblerone is for those who like to enjoy a creamy melt-in-mouth experience. To taste sweet and salt rhapsody, choose Toblerone with salted caramel.
Why Is Toblerone Famous?
Toblerone is famous for a few reasons. The first reason is its iconic, yellow pyramid-shaped packaging. The second reason is taste. Toblerone is high-quality chocolate that almost everyone adores. Furthermore, they are different from the others thanks to the small parts of the honeycomb inside of the bar. The last reason is that they are great at storytelling.
Here is the story of Toblerone, so you get the idea of what I am talking about.
A confectionary was opened by Jean Tobler in the Swedish city Bern in 1868. With time, he opened a chocolate factory called Fabrique de Chocolat Berne, Tobler & Cie.
His son, Theodor Tobler, inherited his store in 1900. He was the one who decided to add crushed pieces of nougat to Toblerone chocolate. And nougat was indeed the real innovation. It was actually Toblerone that first incorporated the filling into its chocolate. So, they patented their milk chocolate and nougat creation in 1909. You can read the short story on the inside of the big triangle packaging.
Another story that people tell is that you can’t find the Toblerone chocolate bar in American grocery stores. You can only find them at the airports. So every time Toblerone lovers travel, they buy a giant Toblerone bar at a duty-free shop.
The last story is about its packaging. Everybody notices the mountain top on the wrapper, but only some people realize a bear silhouette hidden on the mountain. So, here’s a task. Take a look at the Matterhorn top on the box and try to find the bear. Pretty interesting, right?
Why Is It Called Toblerone?
Theodore, the founder’s son, and his cousin are the ones to thank for the name Toblerone. They chose to incorporate the Italian nougat into milk chocolate, despite all of the options available. As a matter of fact, they liked the mixture so much that they named their company after it.
Toblerone derives from Tobler, founder’s family name, and Torrone, the name of an Italian nougat. When you put together “Tobler” and “Torrone”, you get Toblerone.
Why Toblerone Is a Triangle?
It is still a mystery, however, what inspired Toblerone’s distinctive shape. According to one theory, the designer was inspired by the Matterhorn, the most iconic European mountain peak that can be found in the Swiss Alps. Based on this theory, the packaging of Toblerone contains clues to its origin.
Another theory says that the shape was inspired by a human pyramid the Folies Bergeres dancers created at the end of their shows in Paris.
All in all, the triangular shape of Toblerone has been both popular and recognizable throughout the world. So, if they just wanted to distinguish themselves from the competition, they succeeded.
Is Toblerone Expensive?
Toblerone is so famous worldwide that they managed to put a little bit higher price for their sweet and sticky nougat. But the real reason is that they use high-quality ingredients, which are becoming more and more expensive over the years. In addition, they have a farm of 14,000 Swiss cows in order to produce the needed milk.
Its fans also took issue with the brand’s redesign in 2016 that reduced the amount of chocolate per bar, but caused wider gaps between triangles. The cost of many ingredients had increased for Toblerone as well, like many other companies.
By releasing Toblerone ice cream, Toblerone has regained a loyal fan base despite their controversial change of shape in 2016. The shape and size of the original were returned two years later – although at a higher price.
The last thing is, again, storytelling. The brand itself is so huge that they never needed a famous spokesperson or a catchy song to get the attention. Their story about chocolate’s origins, packaging, and oversized bars at the airport made the experience of eating this chocolate feel like a luxury and nostalgic experience at the same time.
How Are You Supposed to Eat Toblerone?
Break off a piece by pushing it inwards, or toward the bar, rather than pushing it outwards. The Toblerone triangle will break off much easier.
Why Do Airports Have Toblerone?
It is a part of the brand’s storytelling. Some people claim that Toblerone is trying to collect as much data as they can. By scanning your boarding pass at the cashier, Toblerone can collect information on who buys goods before setting off on journeys; specifically, people who purchase Toblerones.
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