We stepped off the train in the small town of Broc, and our noses immediately filled with the aroma of cocoa beans. The whole town smells of chocolate! This is because Broc is home to the Cailler chocolate factory – the first chocolate maker in Switzerland. We made a stop here to visit the Willy Wonka-like factory for a tour.
The Cailler chocolate factory tour was actually very well put together and quite animated – with moving dolls and gadgets, lighting and sound effects, etc. This probably explains why we were two of the few in the group aged over 10.
After learning all about the cocoa bean and gentlemen by the name of Cailler and Nestle, the best part of the tour began (there is a trend here I’m sure you’re noticing): unlimited samples of all their chocolate laid out on trays!
I left with a sore belly but a smile on my face!
We took a one-car baby train and continued our food extravaganza as we headed to our next stop, Gruyere
We know we already toured a cheese factory… but we have been eating Gruyere on a daily basis and been loving it, so it seemed appropriate to give the town a visit and learn about their cheese. I suppose now we have no excuse to lack knowledge in cheese making process…
Before our tour even started, the lady at the admission gate handed us both one of these – a samplet of their differently aged cheeses.
The rest of the time we listened through a mega-phone to the process of cheese making (which was taught to us by a cow named Cherry), and watched the factory in action.
Since we now feel like pros on cheese-making, here’s our summary post on what we’ve learned from Gruyere and Appenzel: How Swiss Cheese is Made.
