SWEET SIN

FROM THE LEGENDARY STORES IN OLD TOWN TO THE WORLD'S LARGEST CHOCOLATE MUSEUM, FOLLOW THIS CHOCOLATE TRAIL THROUGH ZÜRICH TO DISCOVER HOW A MISTAKE GAVE THE WORLD THE IRRESISTIBLE SWISS MILK CHOCOLATE

- SHREYA CHEEMA

ZÜRICH IS A DREAM FOR perfectionists. Known as Switzerland's financial hub, no other city makes such a strong case for precision as Zürich does. The trams always leave on schedule. No clocks ever tell the time a second ahead or behind. The barista doesn't take a minute more than promised to get your coffee ready. Unlike other European cities, there's no time for leisure or a day without a plan—everybody walks like they have somewhere to be.

And as a true traveller does, I, too, took on the city's spirit and went against my nature to quickly chart out my day's plan: to sample the best Swiss chocolate. Now, it may seem like an easy task. But in a city that offers a million options at every turn, this undertaking is a serious business.

I began my hunt in the Old Town, also known as Altstadt. With narrow, cobblestoned, and sloping paths zig-zagging in every direction, this part of town remains true to its medieval origins. Rooting it deeper into the past are the pastel-coloured houses lining the alleys and the tiny shops with pretty doors where owners happily offer you a glass of fresh, hand-squeezed lemonade but won't entertain you for a minute when they are supposed to shut down for lunchtime.

Even though it is easy to get distracted in the Old Town, or even confused given how maze-like this part of the city is, I made my way straight to the revered Confiserie Tuescher. Snuck away in the narrow alley of Storchengasse, this tiny shop that opened in 1932 is now present in 19 countries—with a store as far away as Seoul. The sheer variety of truffles you find here—from Baileys and vodka to lemon and pistachio—is mind-boggling. But because it was just the beginning, I restricted myself to just one. And that one—the iconic Dom Perignon-infused Champagne truffle—was just enough.