Common name of premium quality chocolate from Switzerland-based Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG, which manufactures premium quality chocolate. The name comes from Rodolphe Lindt, inventor of the conche, and founder of the company Bern in 1879, and sold it to Zurich chocolate maker Rudolf Sprüngli in 1899. The company bought out Italy's Carrafel in 1997 and America's Ghirardelli in 1998.