The History of Toblerone

Toblerone, the world’s first triangular chocolate bar, was invented in 1908 by Theodore Tobler and Emil Baumann. They successfully combined nougat, honey, and almonds with chocolate to make their creation. Fittingly, the name Toblerone comes from an amalgamation of Tobler’s surname and torrone, a type of Italian nougat made with honey and almonds. The chocolate’s packaging was significant from the beginning — it features the Matterhorn, a famous peak in the Alps that’s located near Bern, where Toblerone was invented, and a bear, which is a symbol of the chocolate bar’s hometown. The packaging also states that Toblerone is “The First Patented Swiss Milk Chocolate" — and this is true. In fact, Toblerone is considered the first chocolate bar to be protected by intellectual property laws, since Tobler was able to get a patent for the way it is made. The chocolate's unique shape is also purposeful — the triangles are meant to resemble the pyramids formed by dancers at Folies Bergères, a famous Parisian dance hall. Today, the iconic chocolate bars come in 10 different sizes, including one that’s roughly 1 meter tall! There are also over 10 different flavors available. For most of Toblerone’s history, the chocolate bars have been made in Switzerland and the brand has historically advertised itself as a Swiss chocolate bar. But in 2023, a factory in Bratislava, Slovakia started producing Toblerone. Due to Swiss laws (specifically, the country’s 2017 “Swissness” legislation), Toblerone must change its packaging to remove any Swiss imagery and any claims that it is a product of Switzerland. However, the recipe isn't expected to change and Toblerone bars will still be available for fans all over the world to enjoy.