All Aboard the Chocolate Express

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'ftt8qhink Switzerland and your shortlist may include

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cuckoo clocks, expensive watches, secretive banks,

the soaring Matterhorn crowning the

Alps, fine Swiss cheeses and inesistible chocolates.

Callier chocolate factory in Broc, but the entire 9am

product is on display and there for the sampling. I told

to 5pm journey is more a definitive dairy product

you to resist those meringues earlier!

lf the Broc experience sounds a little too "arm's

gastronom ic extravaganza.

As

the modern electric locomotive works its magic

length" an experience for the chocoholic inside you,

Wrap all these in silver paper and putthem in a fancy

smoothly up front, the journey is deceptively silent

the compact and intimate Alprose Chocolate

box and you have the Montreux-Bernese Oberland

exceDt for the muffled rush of metal-on-metal as the

in Lugano-Caslano might be more in your line.

picture postcard Swiss scenery rolls past.

you can watch the catwalk activity across the factory

Railway

-

and an adventure on a privately-owned,

Factory Here

The train makes its first stop at the village of

floor as diligent chocolatiers produce the famous

Gruydres, where the gallivanting gastronomes pile

blocks right before your eyes. Complete with tummy-

waiting. Expectant chocophiles are milling about,

off for a demonstration of chic classic cheesemaking at the Maison du Gruydres dairy. Even

transformed into creamy packaged delights which

chatting excitedly in anticipation ofthis classic Swiss

though this is a tourist factory, the master cheese-

you can later intercept in the factory store.

Big Day Out. Built around 1915, the original narrow-

makers

gauge rail carriages have undergone an extensive

cheeses every day. 0h, and try to resist filling up on

beautifully restored Pullman Express.

It's a crisp, clear summer morning at Montreux

station and the three "Belle Epoque" carriages

and exoensive restoration

to

are

return them to

still produce 48 round 355kg -

Gruydres

rumbling aromas, you can observe the raw ingredients

And if your bank balance won't take you as far as Switzerland this year? Fear not, my fellow

you'll need room for

chocolate-loving Australians. Because closer to

"We had a lot of trouble getting the right wood,

Speaking of which, the pirice de rdsistance is the

home, in Melbourne no less, local gourmet tour guide Suzie Wharton is now conducting two-

windows and fitting, because some of the original

factory at Broc. Part of the Nestl6 empire, it's still

hour chocoholic voyages of discovery through

ones were broken," says tour guide Niklaus with

a great treat, albeit a highly commercialised one.

obvious pride. His blue tunic and classic cap are

The factory's new exhibition opened in May 2006 and

the mysterious narrow lanes and bacl( alleys of that fabled city. Anyway, the walk will do

minor

and designer Jean Nouvel. lt culminates, predicably

you good as you explore the creamy underbelly of the metropolis' secret chocolate society.

terminates at the famous

enough, in a chocolate lovers' nirvana, where every

Ta<tino< inrlrrdadl

is the result of collaboration

perfectly tailored.

The term Chocolate Train is misnomer. Certainly,

the double cream meringues the chocolate!

Dristine condition.

it

in fact a

with

French architect

The word chocolate is probably derived from the

ancient Mayan word "xocoloil,which describes

a

potent brcw the natjves nrade from bcans wlrrch were thert roastcd, ground ancl mixed with water and spiccs t0 form a foamy liquid. Thc Aztecs, Incas and Toltcr s also dJbbled with cocoa recipes which,

with tlreir goIl ancl other r0sources, src.ttly intefested tlle invd{lirt1l Sl),lti.h conquistaciors. alDlrg

5h

i

pped back acr o3s tlr,t Ai

Inr tt ir

,

thn new chocolate

dnnk soon became a htt illrouljl)r)il1 lhp royal rourts of Europc. But it wasn't unttl tho {tillV lgth tentury that the French began marketing tlr,: rolirj product the tamiliar block form w0 se0 tocl.ly.

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Not to bc oLrtdone by thoir Gallrt nciqlrbours, the Swiss krrew they could improve rrn

lll(, rouglt rnass_ produced stuff from thc Wcs1. Narrtos like Rudolph Lrndt, Frdnqors-t.ouis {_arllcr RLldolf Sprilnsli and Daniel

Peter .rll dcvcloped .;grr:rral proccs;cr

that

fefinecl

arrri dr:ltneii lhe Swr,:; ltrorlrrrt llrrouqhout the lgth IentUiy Uttltl tt b,]L,ttnp titL. r",vrrrlri r,'rr0r,vilorJ rlelicacv rt rs todaV. !lllk chorolntt, ,ilt(l illcltllS rltrrcol.tlrr l)oIh irtvcrttcd by tl]c \wI,s

tryr:rt

At ihe b'tginniilg ol iltr ,li)th (cntIrV !ll( lt w,l5 the p0l)ulanty of 5r,ryiss ,:horol,rtrt tfral i111. |l11i1r11 1;i Swiss Ihocoldtc M,]nUfact!r,^fs (now ( ll(rL(rsUt5sc) was fornted to tellre50tt,lIii pr(r[cLt tllr] \!./t5s prodr.tct frotr cn{ rocti nnterl ltorln(i tIr, \volJ(i

lialf of

Niq[,i

thL: 1q{J,t)tJ0 tr)rtrtr. , rtr r it, rr0latc

tD swtlzcrlanrl cvrllv v0,tr

borrler, ltec;rts,: lllrt Swts5

1tr

rttlLrcccl

Irtv.l tildt\ri\ [ (t(lL)r.] tit0 sf tilt0rr;rrrn,t 1)pq r_1lt[ 0l

thcir

rtvrin ;trorlui tton i\Ltsl rnitn rakes rtrtat lv hvrt ltcr Lent of the 'txl)rlltrt(J lt.rlt. Most goes to thc Ie.ltlly GeilIdns (2r) prlr { rlnt).

The Swiss rhorolatc rndu5try turns over 5i.5 brllion

annually.

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Chocolate fact file To keep the conversation rolling at your next dinner party, here are some

indispensable chocolate facts.

,

There are three distinct tvpes

of

cocoa beans Criollo, Forastero

and Trinitario.

$ \t'

o

Criollo is the purest, most expensive type

of bean native to

Central

America and the northern regions of South America.

D

Forastero is the robust variety most commonly used

in

commerclal

Dlantations. lt lacl(s some of the subtle flavours of the Criollo.

,

Trinitario is a natural hybrid of Criollo and Forastero, originating

in

Trinidad. lt can exhibit a variety offlavours depending on region' hybrid

mix and cultivation methods.

D

Couverture is a special smooth, glossy, easily melted chocolate used by chefs for coating edibles lil<e strawberries. High in cocoa butter'

>

Conching is a finalisation process that determines the smoothness of the product. Metal beads in a "fountain" grind the cocoa and sugar into

tiny, inseparable particles, the longer the better.

,

Tempering is heat manipulation, the very last process

in

chocolate

making which determines the frnal crystal size of the product Properly

tempered chocolate is smooth, firm and glossy and snaps when brol<en' It also stores and travels best.

Cocoa pods are harvested, the beans removed and dried over three days

The beans are roasted and ground. Cocoa butter is separated from the chocolate

mulch (or liquor) either by pressing, or by collecting drips The residue

is

cocoa powoer.

The liquor and butter is re-blended with other ingredients like sugar, milk and vanilla to form the different chocolate varieties we see (dark, milk and white).

70g plain chocolate 500m1 milk 2

tbsp of honey

grated zest of

1/2 lemon

1/2 small glass of rum

1/4 small glass of arracl( allspice, ginger

Dissolve the chocolate in the milk over a low heat and leave

to

cool

in the fridge. In a mixer or shal<er, mix the honey, lemon zest, rum, arracl< and U4 tsp each of allspice and ginger into the cold liquid.

Pour into a tall, iced glass and garnish king of the Aztecsl

witrl mint

As exotic as the

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Can't get to Switzerland?

Then try SLrzic WhaIton's Ihocohol c Tours in Me bourrc A 5J0 two-hoLrr wa king loLrr nc rcles

5cc www.chocoholictours.com.au

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