Once banned in prim, 18th-century, reformation-era Switzerland for its rumoured aphrodisiacal qualities, chocolate is one of the country's best-loved extravagances. If you want to keep your affair with this delicacy alive then a trip to Zurich - the headquarters of Switzerland's most celebrated treat - is the place to go.
Swing into action on Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse, a few steps from the main railway station. Lined with Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Armani, it is also the place to buy confectionery haute couture from places such as Teuscher (46 Bahnhofstrasse, tel: 41 1 211 1390). Fans have been flocking to this, the flagship branch, for more than 50 years to savour its speciality: the champagne truffle. If you have never tried this buttery, bubbly blend then prepare to be addicted. Chemicals, additives and preservatives make it nowhere near Teuscher kitchens, so a box (15 Swiss francs; HK$95) must be eaten quickly. What hardship.
Also on Switzerland's premier shopping street is Merkur (106 Bahnhofstrasse, tel: 41 1 211 5372), where staff have been blending Swiss quality with global influences for more than a century. Take a journey through some of the world's best cocoa regions with just one box thanks to the Laderach Selection Grand Cru (18.90 Swiss francs). Chocolate panels combined with Cuban, Ecuadorian, Madagascan and Santa Domingan flavours join forces with a truffle filling in a sterling example of international relations. And if all those exotic flavours leave you yearning for something more familiar, stand by for the Giant Toblerone (119 Swiss francs). Weighing in at 4.5kg, this old favourite should keep even the most fanatical chocoholic satiated.
Confiserie Sprungli (67 Bahnhofstrasse, tel: 41 1 212 1702) is another legendary name in Swiss chocolate. Try the Limmat Box (29 Swiss francs), named after the river that cuts through the city. And for enough sweetness to perk up any curious Gulliver, dig into a box of Lilliput truffles (32 Swiss francs) crammed with hazelnut, champagne and bourbon vanilla. Another Sprungli delicacy are Gaufrettes (41 Swiss francs) - cigar-shaped waffles filled with silky hazelnut chocolate: a sophisticated crunch that is perfect with coffee.
If eating chocolate isn't enough, cross the Limmat to Cafe Schober (Napfgasse 4, tel: 41 1 251 8060) for an opportunity to drink it. The hot chocolate served is a blend of Suchard topped with whipped cream fresh from the cafe's own herd of cows. James Joyce, Vladimir Lenin and Hermann Hesse all patronised this tiny conditorei (a blend of a cafe, patisserie and sweet shop) nestled in the heart of the Old Town.