The chocolate bunny taste test

The bunnies that were tasted. Picture: Marilyn Bernard

The bunnies that were tasted. Picture: Marilyn Bernard

Published Mar 30, 2015

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Durban – Supermarket shelves are packed with Easter treats: hot cross buns, eggs and chocolate bunnies.

The Independent on Saturdaybought seven different chocolate bunnies and gave them a taste test.

The bunnies came from the following stores:

Beacon from Game – R24,90 (150g)

Jacquot from Clicks – R17,95 (100g)

Riegelein from Checkers – R39,99 (125g)

Hugo from Woolworths – R27,95 (80g)

Cadbury from Checkers – R59,99 (130g)

Nesquik from Checkers – R24,99 (120g)

Lindt from Kwikspar – R54,99 (100g).

The reviewers are: Arthi Sanpath (AS), Lynn Lister (LL), and Michelle Nel-Creux (MC), who critiqued each bunny on taste, texture, size and appearance.

Beacon

AS: I would assume kids would like the bright blue packaging, the height of the bunny and the smiley face. However I found the chocolate-ness of the bunny not so fantastic. It did not have a memorable taste.

LL: This blue bunny would be very attractive to children with its bright, blue wrapper. Very sweet, with a slightly tacky texture on the tongue.

MC: The tallest bunny and would appeal to kids. It tasted fine but was definitely not aimed at chocolate connoisseurs.

Jacquot

AS: This bunny was broken at the bottom, so its appearance wasn't very attractive.

The illustration on the wrapping was of a “mommy bunny” holding a little bunny which was cute. Upon opening it, the top half was discoloured and it was difficult to tell why, so this was a major “put off” when it came to tasting.

The chocolate taste was barely there.

LL: Shame, this poor bunny was a disaster once we got past the pretty girly pink foil wrapping. But the top half of the bunny was discoloured, presumably from not being kept cold enough during the cold chain storage process, making it very unappealing. The chocolate was virtually tasteless.

MC: Cute packaging, aimed at girls. The chocolate was not great quality, too thin and sickly sweet.

Riegelein

AS: I loved the bright gold wrapping of the bunny. The gold thread with a ribbon added a dash of style and the illustrations of the eyes, the tail and paws were very welcoming.

Good overall appearance. This bunny had a very malty, Milo kind of taste which was good, and it distinguished itself from the other bunnies.

LL: This bunny was very reminiscent of another more famous chocolate brand and was dubbed “fake bunny”.

I thought its eyes gave it a slightly mad look...

The gold wrapper was very strong foil, which may be better in terms of protecting the confectionary but it made it very difficult to open, and would have needed adult supervision. Had a slightly malty taste, which I rather enjoyed.

MC: It tasted great and had a slight Milo aftertaste. This is a good option if a Lindt bunny is too expensive for your pocket.

Hugo

AS: This bunny came packaged in a clear, plastic pouch, which I think children would find nice to look at and hold.

The chocolate itself was sugary sweet but hardly chocolatey.

LL: The bunny had white chocolate around the eyes, which gave it a rather startled look, but overall it was cute. Parts of it had melted, which gave it a slightly malformed look. It was not too sweet and had a more pronounced chocolate smell and taste than the others tasted so far. Has a fairly spongy texture.

MC: Good looking bunny but the chocolate had the texture of plastic. It was a little disappointing.

Cadbury

AS: I thought the design of the rabbit sitting upright looked more like a cat, but be that as it may. It seems this bunny is designed for a more mature market with its clean design and white and purple packaging.

I liked the little gift tag attached to it, so it would make a nice ready-to-hand-over present at Easter.

“Wow” was my expression when I tasted the chocolate – the lovely velvety chocolate explosion was delicious.

LL: This was a very attractive bunny. Easy to unwrap, with an etched outline of the rabbit in the chocolate inside.

The chocolate was quite thick, and it was a good ambassador for the wonderfully creamy, delicious Cadbury’s brand. One of the best.

MC: This was a great looking bunny I believe aimed at the classy chocoholic. It is smooth and tastes just like a Cadbury chocolate should. Although I can’t help thinking that buying a normal slab of chocolate would taste just as good and be lighter on your pocket.

Nesquik

AS: This fun design – which had crayons on it – made you want to look more at the detail in the design.

The labelling was in German so I couldn’t tell what lay underneath the wrapper. When you peel the packaging off, the moulding on the bunny was detailed and pretty, mimicking the packaging illustration. Nice touch.

The bunny was made of two layers – a chocolate one on the outside and a minty white one on the inside. Nice and tasty.

LL: This looked more like a school-going bunny than an Easter one, with pictures of pencil crayons stashed near its ears, but it will appeal to kids.

The inside was coated with a layer of white chocolate, which had a slight hint of mint, which pushed it over the just-too-sweet edge for me.

MC: This is great choice if you are looking for something different The only problem is that it very sweet.

Lindt

AS: Very attractive gold packaging with a bell. However I found the Riegelein’s eyes more attractive.

While I’m not a fan of dark chocolate (the bunnies are available in various flavours) the thickness was good – you felt like you were getting a whole lot of bunny – and quality – for the price.

LL: The Lindt bunny is known for its shiny, gold wrapping and the bell that tinkles as it dangles from its neck on a ribbon. Some people buy it simply for its aesthetic appeal, but the bitterness of the dark chocolate makes a welcome change from the sweetness of the milk chocolate offerings. Not just ingredients but energy information is provided on the wrapper. I’d suggest it’s more to the taste of adults than kids.

MC: If you are not a fan of very sweet things this one is for you. It is not for kids unless you know they like dark chocolate. I thought it would go down well with a glass of really good red wine.

Independent on Saturday

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