organic easter eggsEaster, for some it means the end of Lent, and is one of the holiest days of the year, in the Christian calendar. It is a celebration of Resurrection, Life re birth. Yet in modern times, what it is mostly associated with is chocolate. If you have not read Joanne Harris's Chocolat, and like chocolate do read it!

“In my dreams I gorge on chocolates, I roll in chocolates, and their texture is not brittle but soft as flesh, like a thousand mouths on my body, devouring me in fluttering small bites. To die beneath their tender gluttony seems the culmination of every temptation I have ever known.”
JOANNE HARRIS, Chocolat

Chocolate in the form of eggs and bunnies is suddenly everywhere. These were the pagan symbols of fertility rites, that the Christians hijacked and turned into Easter in the hopes that Christianity would stick, and it worked. For many of us Easter is a chance to indulge, whether we observe Lent or not, this is especially true for those who are chocoholics. Yet chocolate is often mass produced, disgusting stuff! So why not have good chocolate this Easter and you can virtously be called a chocoholic.

Here in South Africa it is getting easier and easier to buy organic chocolate that is good for you. Scientists have proclaimed the benefits of eating chocolate – in, um, moderation.

Organic chocolate contains no artificial ingredients – no corn syrups or added sugar and those who study organic foods say when a food is not all natural, toxins are stored in the fat, so that gives you an excuse to buy organic chocolate this Easter!

The great thing is that we not only have organic chocolate in SA, we have options. Chocolateries like von Gesau, Green & Blacks, Woolies' own organic chocolate bar, or Soulicious and a great one I came across called Honest chocolate, what a great name! All these brands and others mean we are now spoilt for choice.

Von Geusau’s chocolate is meticulously made by hand using only the finest, freshest and original ingredients, and organic chocolate is his most recent addition to ingredients that include roasted nuts, exotic liqueurs, orange peel and marzipan. You can buy Von Geusau chocolates in Greyton in the Overberg as well as deli's in Cape Town, such as Giovanni's.

And for those of you who have spent time in the UK, you will appreciate the luxury chocolate brand, Green & Black’s organic chocolate – the green represents the organic principles whilst black signifies the use of dark chocolate (the more cocoa is present in chocolate, the healthier it is for you!) I know Pick 'n Pay stock Green & Blacks.

Honest Chocolate bonbons these bonbons are made with raw (unroasted) organic cacao (full of antioxidants) and are sugar and dairy-free. Instead of sugar, organic agave nectar is used which has a low GI value and adds a warm flavour to the chocolate.

The cacao (or unprocessed cocoa) is sourced from ethically-managed farms in Ecuador, ensuring that the small-scale farmers are not exploited and get a fair price for their cacao beans. Honest Chocolate is currently only available direct or at The Neighbor goods Market at the Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Cape Town.

Another great local chocolate is Soulicious. Try these chocolates for unique and interesting blends, of chocolate with the finest herbs and seeds, with 70%+ dark chocolate. Try their inner beauty range with pumpkin seeds, rooibos and barley.

All fusions are sucrose free, dairy free, and are Halaal, Milchik and Suddha certified. Soulicious donate a percentage of their profit to Educational Nutritional Projects for less advantaged Children. The idea for healthy chocolate for children came out of a brainstorm of setting up Nutritional Cooking Classes for Children in the Townships. The chocolate is available in many upmarket deli's in Cape Town or order from them.