Questions About Swiss Chocolate - Premium Chocolate Made in Switzerland

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is Swiss Chocolate the Best

This frequently asked question fills the Swiss chocolate industry with pride, although the assessment behind it is somewhat subjective. Be that as it may, it is a fact that the products of the Swiss chocolate industry number among the best in the world. The high quality of Swiss chocolate is due to a number of factors. What is decisive is the perfect quality of raw materials and state-of-the-art manufacturing methods combined with the strict quality requirements to be satisfied by the intermediate products. Not to forget the optimal processing into finished products and highly skilled personnel.

What Exactly Is Swiss Chocolate

"Swiss chocolate" is a completely conched chocolate, or chocolate mixture, consisting of: cocoa beans, cocoa mixture, cocoa butter, sugar and, in some cases, milk. These delectables are manufactured entirely in Switzerland, otherwise, the use of the "Swiss chocolate" label at home and abroad has to comply with the "clarity principle". This presupposes that any partial processing outside of Switzerland (e.g. shaping or packaging of the product) is explicitly stated on the package.

How Chocolate Is Made

Chocolate production depends on the ancient craft of the confectioner and the chocolatier. Even today, industrial manufacturing still follows the basic stages of the original craft, although highly sophisticated technical apparatuses has taken over the work at every stage. As well as making it possible to rationalize production, this also guarantees consistent high quality. Cocoa beans are the most important raw material for making chocolate. After detailed quality control checks, the raw cocoa is cleaned thoroughly, crushed, roasted and ground to produce cocoa paste. Mixing this paste with sugar and additional cocoa butter gives the basic mixture for traditional plain chocolate. If powdered or condensed milk is added, the result is the basic mixture for milk chocolate. For white chocolate, on the other hand, the brown cocoa paste is omitted. These three basic mixtures form the starting point for all types of chocolate. After mixing, the basic mixtures are ground very finely and refined by "conching". This produces a chocolate mixture which is now ready to be made into solid bars, or bars filled with nuts, almonds, fruit or liqueur, filled chocolates, and many other specialties.

Quality

Connoisseurs recognize quality when they break a piece from a bar of chocolate: the break is hard and crisp, the edges of the break are clean and the surfaces do not crumble. The nose can also detect the quality: the smell of a fine chocolate is full and rounded, but never obtrusive. One then becomes very aware of true quality on the tongue: good chocolate melts like butter, does not stick to the roof of the mouth or feel gritty, and leaves hardly any aftertaste. Its flavor is fine, delicate and completely unique.

Healthy Food

Chocolate is good for you! Seldom do we find concentrated in such a small space in a single food such large quantities of valuable and energy-giving substances such as: proteins, carbohydrates, trace elements, vitamins and minerals, all of them completely natural. A 100g bar of milk chocolate provides around 2300 kilojoules, or 550 kilocalories, of usable energy. Chocolate is good and healthy. It supports the balanced diet which should always be our aim, however, it does not replace it.

Our Specials -- If your needs can be met by products listed among the various product sections, the best way to place your order is to use our online secure shopping cart. Otherwise, please call 408-855-9520 or e-mail service@SwissChocolateOutlet.com. Our value-added services (Note: extra cost may be applied) will meet your specific needs whether for business or personal use.

Service	Description
Logo or design	Add a logo or create a design onto your message
Color Imprints	Print your message with color other than our standard white
Color Paper	Use color paper other than our standard candy-apple red for your greeting cards
Labels & Stickers	Print labels and stickers to customize your packages
Bulk Order	Inquire about special pricing on large orders
Drop Shipping	Ship directly to your clients to save you time and money

Shipping Details

Q. How soon should I place my order?
A. To lock in our low prices, you should place your order sooner than later. We will make and ship your orders based on your preferred delivery date.
Q. How long will it take to receive my order?
A. Our standard delivery will get Swiss chocolate to your designated location within 15 business days. If your order contains gift sets and/or labels, please allow 2 extra days.

Q. What if I need my order sooner?
A. By choosing our priority process in the shopping cart, you can get your chocolate within 10 business days. If you need it sooner, or have any special requirements such as drop shipping, please call us.

Message Details

Q. How long can my message be?
A. Make sure each of the messages is limited to 45 characters including spaces with up to 3 lines (Note: The message size also depends of the chocolate you've chosen). Note: Messages for your greeting cards can be much longer.
Q. What if I don't know what to put?
If nothing is typed or selected, your order will come with SwissShocki? brand logo.
Q. Can I add my logo and/or design?
A. Yes, you can. However, you will need to contact us either by phone or e-mail (extra cost may be applied).

Q. How many messages can I have?
A. If you need more than one message for your order, please contact us either by phone or e-mail (extra cost may be applied).

Storage Details

Q: What is the best storage temperature?
A: The perfect temperature is between 60 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit (10º - 18ºC) and a humidity below 50%. Chocolate should be protected from light and moisture.
Q: What has happened when the chocolate becomes a grey cloudy color?
A: In this case the chocolate has been exposed to high temp's. The grey color called "bloom", is the crystallization of the cocoa butter out of the chocolate. This doesn't affect the flavor and taste of the chocolate.
Q: Can I freeze chocolate?
A: Yes you can. To freeze the chocolate, place it in an airtight container, and do not remove it from its container until it has been brought up to room temperature, to prevent condensation. These water droplets will prevent the chocolate from melting smoothly and might affect the texture of the melted chocolate.
Q: Where should I store chocolate?
A: Ideally, SwissShocki? should be stored in a slightly cool, dry, dark place. Keep SwissShocki? away from any other foods or substances with strong odors that could be absorbed by the chocolate.

Q: How long I can keep my chocolate?
A: If you will take care it according to the above guideline, our SwissShocki? can stay fresh for 6 months or longer.

Samples

Due to numerous enquiries, we are unfortunately unable to cater for requests of free samples. What you can do is to place a small order for the purpose of sampling.

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