Sample Amazing Sweets On This Geneva Chocolate Tour

Truffles, pralines, pastries, and other specialties crafted from world-famous haute chocolatiers are the hallmark of Switzerland. We had the distinct pleasure of following a knowledgeable local guide who delivered a superb Geneva chocolate tour. I can still taste the delicious sweet treats delivered on our chocolate tasting tour.

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Types of Chocolate And Cocoa Beans

“There are four types of chocolate: dark, milk, white, and ruby. Chocolate comes from the seeds, or nibs, of the cacao tree. They are roasted and ground to produce a paste called chocolate liquor. The paste yields two products: cocoa butter and cocoa powder. From that, different varieties of chocolate are produced by creating different ratios of chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sweetener, and other added ingredients.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is either bittersweet or semi-sweet. It is very popular with people looking for that chocolate taste without all the sugar.

Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate is the most widely recognized chocolate due to its mildly sweet and creamy flavor.

White Chocolate

Is White chocolate really a chocolate? The controversy rages on — I am on the ‘It’s chocolate’ team. The bitter and nutty flavor combined with the sweetness makes this one my favorite.

Ruby Chocolate

Ruby chocolate is not a white chocolate tinted pink; it is made from ruby cacao beans. It imparts a sweet, berry flavor with a hint of sour.

Ladurée

The iconic Ladurée is a French sweet shop known for their macarons. We sampled some delicious macarons along with the most decadent hot chocolate. Our guide navigated us from our meeting point to a park just across from the Jet d’Eau, Geneva’s iconic water fountain.

Our small group of 10 sipped the hot chocolate making sure we enjoyed every last drop as our guide went over the history of chocolate and how it came to Geneva.

Du Rhône Chocolatier

Our next stop was at Du Rhône Chocolatier, purveyors of fine chocolates since 1875. Stunning chocolates graced every turn in the tiny store front.

We tasted exquisite pralinés — smooth with a nutty flavor wrapped in shiny chocolate. Swiss praliné is a mix of roasted almonds and/or hazelnuts with sugar and water added to create a type of nougatine. Finally cocoa butter is added to make the praliné chocolate. Amazing!

Pierre & Jean

A stop at Pierre & Jean, where we tasted confections from this renown pâtisserie. The cocoa dusted, cream filled chocolate cake was not only stunning, but devine. Even though our group knew there was more chocolate to come, we devoured every last extra pastry with gusto.

Our taste buds were collectively singing an I love chocolate ballad.

Philippe Pascoët

When you visit Philippe Pascoët you will find more than a simple taste of Swiss chocolate, the pâtisserie is also a tea room and a local lunch spot. We had chocolates with Feuilletine, a flaky crisp that adds a wonderful texture to the chocolate filling.

This was also my first experience tasting ruby chocolate. I was instantly won over by its unique flavor and silky texture.

The Chocolate Cauldron

As we were leaving Philippe Pascoët, our tour guide mysteriously returned to the shop for a special package.

We gathered by a pretty little fountain and listened to the history of smashing a Chocolate Cauldron for Geneva’s Fête de l’Escalade, the Climbing Festival. Folklore says in 1602 the Duke of Savoy’s arm attacked Geneva. A peasant woman preparing vegetable soup late into the night, heard the arm and poured hot soup on them as they climbed the city walls. To celebrate the festival, Chocolate Cauldrons are filled with marzipan vegetables.

According to tradition, the youngest and oldest take turns smashing the cauldron until it breaks. You can see how successful we were at smashing our cauldron.

Guillaume Bichet

The Guillaume Bichet shop is filled with unique and unusual flavored chocolates. We sampled a dark ganache with yuzu, a dark ganache Verbena infusion, and a ruby red half sphere called Rubis filled with caramel passion fruit.

Sweetzerland

At Sweetzerland, they offered up decadent and delicious truffles. Soft and sweet, the specialties created at Sweetzerland are a flavor tour of Swiss chocolate.

My Safety Tip For Traveling Abroad

Whenever you head out of the country, you need to consider more than just the fun, itinerary focused planning.

For those of us traveling in our GoGo years and relying on Medicare to cover our healthcare needs, it doesn’t work when we are out of the USA. I use Safety Wing Insurance to keep me covered and safe. You can get Nomad Insurance for two weeks, two months, or two years. We are snowbirding in South America this year and I always make sure I’m covered. It’s just the fiscally smart option — happy bonus, it is a great value.

Swiss Chocolate Shops In Geneva

Our guided tour around the Geneva’s old town exploring small shops, expert chocolatier creations, and sumptuous desserts was a fun way to begin our Geneva getaway. Not only did we enjoy some of the best chocolate in the world, we walked through

We took a Chocolate tour through Viator, there are several options. The one that worked best for our location and time was the Chocolate Flavours Tours Geneva: 3-hour Chocolate Tasting and Old Town Visit. It was fabulous – the Geneva chocolate tour was a true taste of the Switzerland chocolate culture.

Happy Travels,

Sandi

PS:

Don’t you just hate it when your phone battery is in the dreaded red zone? I always carry Fuel Rods with me. They give me a battery boost, they are rechargeable, and they work with iphones and androids. 

Travel health insurance when you are heading out of the country is an important consideration. Many policies don’t fully cover you outside of the US. I use Safety Wing for my international travels. I use the one-time coverage option for individual trips – luckily I haven’t had to use it, but it’s comforting to know I have it in place. 

If you know me, you know I love a glass of wine (or two). My favorite mail order wine company is Naked Wines. I order a case every month or so – no judgment please. I love that they work with small independent winemakers and I get to choose what wine I want and when I want it delivered. 

Don’t forget to download my free packing list! It’s the perfect jumping off point to get your adventure started.