When you say ‘Easter chocolate’, the very first things that spring into mind are the Lindt bunny and Cadbury Creme Eggs. I wouldn’t necessarily dream of dark chocolate. A few weeks ago, however, my local supermarket proved that dark chocolate Easter eggs are actually a ‘thing’! A box featuring an assortment of dark chocolate eggs by Chocolatier (an Australian artisan chocolate brand from Melbourne) stood out amongst a rack donning festive selections.

To my palate, it’s tremendously bizarre to be diving into dark chocolate, especially at Easter time when countless milk chocolate options are available. As always in the blog, I’m game for stepping into new personal foodie territories by stepping out of flavor comfort zones – reasonable zones, that is! This time, I switched my chocolate choice for two reasons:

1. Health – it’s healthier than milk chocolate, and considering the wide ranges of tempting sweets featured this season, it’s ideal to opt for healthier alternatives (dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants, and good for your heart, skin and memory). If you’re considering a simple yet somewhat guilt-free chocolate experience this Easter, a pure 70% dark chocolate Easter egg will do the trick (remember, everything should be enjoyed in moderation), and

2. Depth of Flavors – As much as I typically pick milk chocolate over dark chocolate in a heartbeat, I’ve got to credit dark chocolate for being a great ingredient to appreciate other flavor pairings with cocoa, and pure dark chocolate (without bits of other elements) celebrates cocoa at another level. Possibilities of flavor pairings are endless with dark chocolate, and I wouldn’t want to miss out on tasting interesting new creations!

I began my Easter festivities with the 70% dark chocolate egg, and I will be sharing more about the remaining 5 eggs this week!

I was greeted by rich cocoa that tastes brilliant, it’s what you’d expect from artisan dark chocolate. Strangely and surprisingly, a light citrus flavor note that’s more akin to oranges was detected by my taste buds. Although it’s yummy and exquisite, I could only complete eating half of the egg when I first unboxed it as dark chocolate is meant to be consumed slowly and in smaller portions than regular chocolate. It’s lovely to enjoy  dark chocolate with family and friends – it feels like breaking bread and sharing!

The egg is hollow and its surface is prepared with a thin yet solid layer of dark chocolate. Details of how the egg was formed are visible, however, I love them as they add an interesting character instead of presenting a plain egg. Its imperfections actually make it more appealing.

Overall, it was a great introduction and start to the theme of dark chocolate Easter eggs. See you soon in my next dark chocolate egg post!