The Easter egg, a classic chocolate gluttony, how to choose the best - Lifestyle

During the Easter holidays it never fails in Italian homes:

There are many types but certainly the most popular are those made with milk chocolate. The current European legislation establishes that

must contain

14% milk or derivatives, 25% fat (cocoa butter and other fats) and sugar.

has a stronger aroma and a much more bitter taste, and for this reason it is not generally loved by children but highly sought after by adults. A good quality product must contain

(of which 18% cocoa butter). I

, although it does not contain cocoa mass, it has many admirers both large and small: it is made with at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk derivatives and a maximum of 55% sugar.

In recent years

has become very popular with consumers of all ages, almost as much as milk chocolate.

The European directive indicates that there is

and a quantity of hazelnuts varying between 20 and 40 grams (per 100 grams of final product).

On the market we find a wide range of products with sales prices ranging between 3 and 90 euros, from the chocolate egg of large-scale distribution to the gourmet one of pastry chefs.

The price is determined primarily by the quality of the ingredients and their quantity (a high quality egg contains few ingredients and a high percentage of cocoa).

Another relevant factor is

: from small toys for children inspired by cartoons or football teams, to costume jewelery, gift vouchers or chocolates, or personalization.

In general, it is essential to read the food label carefully to avoid unknowingly consuming large quantities of unhealthy sugars and fats.

mass which outlines the different types and should be the preponderant element;

which guarantees softness and creaminess;

.

Pay attention to additives: in addition to cocoa butter, additives such as lectin, flavorings and vegetable fats of different types (including palm oil) are often used.

These substances are much cheaper than cocoa butter (consequently the egg will have a more accessible price), but they end up compromising the original flavor of the chocolate, also increasing the percentage of fats present.

Dark chocolate can also be consumed by those looking for a product without milk and derivatives (intolerant, allergic or vegan), since the recipe does not include the use of milk.

However, it is always advisable to buy eggs that expressly indicate

" because confectionery is often produced in establishments where milk is systematically used (specified on the label as "May contain traces of milk").

If you are allergic to nuts, the situation is more complicated: the factories that use this type of allergen are the majority and, to date, there are no products on the market that ensure the total absence of contact between the product and the nuts. .

For the occasion, the team of experts from QualiS Scelere.it tested

(milk, dark and hazelnut) illustrating the aspects to devote more attention to before choosing what to buy (Kinder GranSorpresa WWF, Motta Uovo Bimbo, Balocco Paw Patrol, Precious Sweets Easter Egg Chiara Ferragni, Trunks Big brands Dark Chocolate Lei, Perugina Dark Extra Luisa, Lindt Lindor Extra Dark, Lindt Nocciolatte, Ferrero Rocher Easter gold. They have been selected at discretion without any sponsorship or supply by part. of brands).

wins the title of best ever (starting from 18 euros for the 360 ​​gram format).

It is an ideal solution especially for dark chocolate lovers: it

, a rich soft filling and a double surprise.

Among the less appreciated aspects is the presence of palm oil among the ingredients.

, produced by Dolci Preziosi (starting from 10.50 euros for the 280 gram format), stands out for its

.

It is a product made with very fine milk chocolate (with a

), part of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to charity in favor of the non-profit organization "I Bambini delle Fate".

Among the eggs designed for the little ones, one of the best is the

proposal

very fine milk chocolate (minimum

) with natural flavors and

In short, in the choice, maximum attention, as always emphasized by green.me, to labels and nutritional table:

which, especially in the milk variants, is low (around 30%).

(which should be cocoa butter and not other types)

(often very high, in some cases over 50% of the total)

(which should be as short as possible)

dark eggs: they

must contain at least 45% of total dry cocoa substance (but better if the percentage is higher)

at least 28% of cocoa butter and not less than 14% of defatted dry cocoa.

must contain at least 25% of total dry matter of cocoa

14% of total dry matter of lactic origin

25% of total fats

Whenever possible, we opt for Easter eggs from

.

These guarantee a fair wage for often exploited cocoa workers (including children).

have other characteristics and a complexity of processing, and therefore of production hours, which determines a higher cost also for the raw materials used: here are some examples around Italy.

Noalya chocolate, a refined label in its various dark, white, milk and hazelnut variants, is the basis for example of the creations of

, Atelier of Culinary Arts based in Pisa: with a height of about 30 cm, and made without the aid of pre-formed molds, each egg required two to four hours of freehand processing.

Made in unique pieces with the technique of sprinkled chocolate and with fat-soluble dyes, they have a velvet consistency.

In Bolzano, the Easter eggs of

are made with creamy and soft chocolate and embellished with refined decorations.

They are the size of real quail eggs and are offered in strawberry, pistachio, hazelnut, peanut butter, milk and dark chocolate flavors.

From the famous Milanese gastronomic brand

this Easter Chocolate Grape is made mainly with Manjari chocolate that stands out for its notes at the same time acidic and fruity, exactly like the flavor of the fruit it represents, while Space, which evokes a planet surrounded by rings, has white chocolate for the rings, the taste of which ranges from caramel to biscuit and combines with Tainori egg chocolate.

In Naples there are the famous productions in the world of the historic

Chocolate Factory

, based since 1922 in the Liberty building in via Vetriera in Chiaia: still today the processing methods of the house are strongly anchored to tradition, the raw materials used in laboratory are the result of a careful selection, starting with the cocoa of Central American origin enhanced by Italian and 100% natural ingredients such as Apulian almonds, Giffoni hazelnuts, Sicilian pistachios and Sorrento nuts, they are sculptures of pure cocoa criollo - a precious and particularly aromatic variety - made “as it once was” by the master craftsmen of the house.

In Turin there are so many pastry shops with chocolate in the center:

, among the many creations, has created for Easter 2021 the new Tiramisù flavor, which expands the Le Decorate egg line, and which is inspired by the award-winning recipe of the same name truffle: cocoa, coffee and mascarpone are intertwined in this delicious chocolate egg, a creation made layer by layer with the best ingredients of the Piedmont area and with an extra bonus the surprise with chocolate truffles, which have made the brand famous.

The Chocolate Eggs of

, a model of a participatory and collective enterprise in Bologna, are artisanal with chocolate entirely self-produced by the Brisa family: it starts with cocoa beans grown in permaculture in Peru, which are then toasted in the bread oven in their laboratory in Bolognina and, after several steps, transformed into chocolate, in this case, a 70% Peru.

Raw

chocolate chef

, the first in the world to have created the raw chocolate egg back in 2014, now has an online shop with a laboratory in the hills of Fiesole, a few kilometers from Florence: the eggs are prepared with the finest raw chocolate , which is not only good, but also good for health, rich in magnesium, thebromina, declined in different variations, from white to that with coconut milk.