How Do You Eat a Chocolate Bunny?

It’s Easter and the big question of the day is ‘how do you eat your chocolate bunny’? There’s a bit of disagreement as to the ‘proper’ way to eat your chocolate confection. Tail first? Ears first? Paws first? Bite off the whole head in one big chomp?

According to a survey conducted by the National Confectioners Association, 78% of chocolate bunny eaters eat the ears first, 17% eat the feet first and only 5% eat the tail first. I’m with the 78% majority myself. Although I prefer white chocolate to milk or dark chocolate, the ears are still the tastiest part… perhaps because they’re first?

Unfortunately, with white chocolate I miss the chemically-induced chocolate happiness high that comes from eating the brown varieties. White chocolate does not contain the feel-good chemicals that neurotransmit to the reward center of your brain. Those chemicals are present in the cocoa mass used to make milk and dark chocolate bunnies, but not the cocoa butter used in white chocolate. I may not get ‘high’, but I certainly get happy.

According to Samantha Boardman, MD, a positive psychiatrist, the way you eat your chocolate bunny reveals quite a bit about you. In her study of 23,000+ respondents, 59% indicated they eat the ears first. In doctor-speak, that’s known as ‘auricular amputation’. Eating ears first means you are practical, traditional and organized. Boring, but true.

What about tail first? It’s a sign that you’re cautious and maybe a little bit sneaky… attacking from the rear and all.

And feet first? Maybe you’re a bit needy. You eat the feet first so the rabbit can’t get away.

Biting off the whole head? Aha… the impatient type… always in a bit of a hurry… just trying to get the job done and over with.

Midst all my research and questioning, I learned that according to the Guinness Book of World Records, Equipe da Casa do Chocolate fabricated the largest chocolate rabbit ever. It weighed in at 9,359.7 lbs (4,245.5 kg) and was 14.86’ (4.53m) tall. It took nine professionals, eight consecutive days to create the huge chocolate rabbit sculpture. After being on display for a week, the rabbit was ‘deconstructed’ (ears first???) and donated "Mesa Brasil," a program that collects and distributes food to those in need across the country.

It’s estimated that over 90 million chocolate bunnies are made each year. I can only vouch for five of them. I’ll be observing closely to see how bunnies are consumed at the Lynn house this year.

Happy Easter!