JOIN USChocolatier for a day in Willy Wonka land
"So, what do you do for a living?" my daughter teases me when she sees me in a chocolatier's attire.
"I am a chocolate maker at the Lindt Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg, Switzerland," I reply.
"So, now you are technically Willy Wonka," she says, and we laugh together.
Chocolate sure does awaken the childhood nostalgia in us. We are here for a day, just a 15 minutes drive from Zurich, to know all that goes into chocolate making.
I am already in awe of the world's largest chocolate fountain, about 30 feet tall, with 1500 kilos of real chocolate pouring down from a massive golden whisk into a giant Lindor truffle (the Lindor ball isn't real chocolate) at 2.2 pounds per second.
Learning the basics
Before the actual class begins, I book us a guided tour of the museum to take in the history. We start in an area designed like a rainforest devoted to the key ingredient, cocoa. We learn that the ancient Mayans in Central America drank "Xocolatl," basically cocoa water.
The Spaniards enjoyed this drink exclusively. In the 15th century, it reached Spain, and they thought it was a drink fit for Gods but only after sweetening it with honey or sugar. Interestingly, when French King Louis XIII wedded Spanish Princess Anne of Austria, the secret recipe was out, and drinking chocolate became de rigueur in Europe.
When I move on to the next room, the Swiss Pioneers, I discover how in 1875 Henri Nestle created milk chocolate.
Apart from the various free tasting spots, the tour's most interesting and fun part was probably the chocolate advertising of the early 20th century: the packaging of all kinds of brands throughout the years and historical vending machines and signs.
Chocolate-making time
Finally, it's time to be Maître Chocolatier. We don aprons and chef hats, and a magic door opens into a chocolate room replete with workstations. Each station has two large cauldrons filled with dark and milk chocolate alternately.
The Master Chocolatier patiently explains how to make chocolate bunnies and lollipops.
It looks easy when he makes it, but I struggle when it's my turn. But by the end of the day, I have learned something new and bonded with my daughter. We pack and take along what we have made; a sweet souvenir.
The world's largest chocolate shop
After a cold chocolate milkshake and a savoury salad at the Lindt café, it's time to shop (read 65,000 square feet of chocolate goodness). From handmade truffles, praline and dark, there are options galore.
My daughter's friend Daniel works here, and he's entitled to a 20 per cent discount; needless to say, we do our math just right and carry enough for ourselves and for those who have left messages after seeing our posts on social media.
Overall, the Lindt Home of Chocolate not only delineates the antiquity of chocolate in Switzerland but also apprises tourists about how cocoa beans turn into the chocolate we love. Novice chocolatiers like me can temporarily perfect their skill by taking classes and trying their hand at it back home.
(Awarded the "Best food writer in the country" by the Indian culinary forum, WACS and the ministry of Tourism, Rupali Dean writes on food and travel.)