Everyone knows Toblerone chocolate. It is a very famous Swiss product. And, you see it everywhere around the world and often at airport duty free as well!
It’s that chocolate with a strange triangular shape and huge red lettering. Oh, and that mountain on the front as well.
Table of Contents
Toblerone History
Toblerone is actually named after the founder – Theodor Tobler. He was born in 1876 in the Swiss capital of Bern and died in 1941 during World War II–1941) in Bern in Switzerland.
Theodor Tobler and his cousin Emil Baumann created the Toberlone chocolate bar in 1908. Baumann invented the recipe—milk chocolate with nougat, almonds, and honey—while Tobler created the unique triangular shape of both the chocolate bar and the packaging.
The Toblerone Logo
There is a lot of mystery and speculation surrounding the Toblerone logo for a variety of reasons.
First, the logo had a hidden symbol inside the mountain. If you look closely at the image above, you will see a white bear. This is an homage to Bern, Toblerone’s home, which has the bear symbol in its cantonal flag and a long history with bears in the city.
The Matterhorn & Toblerone
Second, there used to be the image of the Matterhorn next to the name Toblerone. There was some confusion that Tobler made the Toblerone chocolate triangular because of the famous Matterhorn mountain. However, he is said to have denied this was true.
Instead, the Matterhorn has become associated with this chocolate bar later in its history because of its similar shape and the fact that it is truly a unique and recognizable Swiss product, just like the mountain.
Want To Save This For Later?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
In fact, the Matterhorn did not appear on the packaging of the original Toblerone and was only added to the ends of the box in 1970. Many years later it appeared next to the Toblerone name.
Toblerone is No Longer 100% Swiss Made
Toblerone more recently removed the Matterhorn from its packaging. In March 2023, to be exact.
This change was necessitated by the relocation of some of its production from Switzerland to Slovakia, triggering compliance with Switzerland’s “Swissness” laws which prohibit the use of national symbols for products not exclusively made in Switzerland.
So, because Toblerone is no longer 100% Swiss Made, they were not allowed to use the exact likeness of the Matterhorn, one of Switzerland’s most iconic symbols and mountains.
Instead, they use a Matterhorn-like image to keep in compliance with the laws. So, you will rarely, if ever, see the Matterhorn on the Toblerone packaging anymore.
The Toblerone Photo of The Matterhorn
The Matterhorn is so closely associated with Toblerone now that there is actually a photo you can take in Zermatt. It is at the top of the Gornergrat
Frequently Asked Questions
Where Does The Toblerone Name Come From?
The name Toblerone is a combination of the founder’s name (Tobler) and the Italian word for nougat made from honey and almond (Torrone). So, Tobler + Torrone becomes Toblerone.
Where is Toblerone mountain?
The Toblerone mountain is located high above the Swiss town of Zermatt. It is called the Matterhorn and it is 4,478 m / 14691 ft high.
Note: Header image from Wikimedia
