Easter and chocolate, the secrets of a tradition
On Sunday, April 17, we will celebrate the feast of Easter. Easter, which means “passage”, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and marks the end of Lent. On this occasion, many of us eat chocolate eggs, which make the joy and happiness of children and adults. Why do we eat chocolate eggs at Easter? This tradition of Easter eggs comes from the prohibition of eating fatty foods during Lent. The eggs laid during this period were kept in ash and then decorated. 5,000 years ago in Persia, hens’ eggs were exchanged to celebrate the new season, spring. The eggs symbolized renewal and fertility. A kind of good luck charm for the one who received them. In the 15th century, eggs were very popular at court. In Versailles, the nobles liked to offer themselves magnificent decorated and painted eggs. Traces of this tradition can also be found in Alsace. Chocolate made its appearance in France in 1615 in liquid form. It was greatly appreciated by the Sun King, Louis XIV and his court. It is a luxury food reserved for the privileged. After chocolate became popular, the French preferred to replace fried eggs by chocolate eggs to celebrate Easter. What could be better than a little chocolate treat after 40 days of deprivation? Celebrating Easter without eggs is like making bread without flour: it is simply unthinkable! As Easter approaches, Artisan chocolate makers are busy in Khéma GO “It is in particular the shape of the small egg that is pleasant to the touch, to the eye, and then in the mouth as well,” explains Chef Hak, Artisan chocolatier. “We have a white chocolate that is very low in sugar. Generally, white chocolate is between 40 and 50% sugar. Ours is 34% sugar, so very little sugar. It is a very fine chocolate. The praline, we make it ourselves, in the traditional way, we roast the hazelnuts, we caramelize the sugar, and then we make the praline.” All the eggs are handmade Green, red, blue, the eggs are colored and above all they are all naked: no packaging, to respect the environment as much as possible: “We do not use aluminum which is quite polluting” continues chef Hak. “The eggs are colored naturally. Here, all the eggs are made by hand.”