Chocolate is made from the seeds of a tree called the cacao tree, which grows in hot countries near the equator. The seeds (called cocoa beans) are dried, roasted, and ground into a thick paste. Plain chocolate is made from this paste, sugar and cocoa butter.
Switzerland does not grow cacao - it is too cold. But Swiss chocolate makers became some of the best in the world. One reason is the rich, creamy milk from cows that spend their summers grazing in Alpine meadows. Another reason is a Swiss invention called 'conching'.
Conching is a special way of mixing chocolate that was invented in 1879 by a Swiss man named Rodolphe Lindt. A 'conche' machine slowly rolls and stirs the chocolate for hours, sometimes days. The result is super-smooth chocolate that melts in your mouth instead of feeling gritty. Almost every chocolate factory in the world now uses this method.
On average, each person in Switzerland eats about 11 kilograms of chocolate a year - more than anywhere else on Earth. That works out at about 11 of those big family bars per person. Swiss chocolate is exported to over 150 countries.