Lent will give way to Easter this year by mid April, and chocolate Easter Eggs and Bunnies are starting to decorate the shelves of pastry shops and chocolatiers around the city.
A majority Catholic country, Colombians are serious when it comes to living the Passion of Christ, but Easter Egg hunting has yet to catch on and become a popular celebration.
Easter Eggs originated in Eastern Europe around 988 BC as a pagan tradition welcoming spring and Christians adopted this practice as a way to end the forty days of Lent and share a surplus of eggs.
From pagan times to the skilled hands of 18th century French pastry chefs, the Easter Egg evolved into that edible delight we know today. Here are a few options you can chose from different shops around the city:
Luisa Brun, Cra 11A No.93A-22. An established store specializing in artisan chocolates, sells Easter eggs in several sizes with three presentations: milk chocolate, white chocolate and semi-sweet. Some are filled with a variety of candy. You can also find chocolate bunnies. Prices start at $27,000.
Serge Thiry, at two locations: Calle 90 No.13-44, and Carrera 17 No.53-28. Thiry opened his Bogotá shop in 2009 after a long search for the “perfect cacao”, which sent him on a trip across Central America. His stores offer signature delights including eggs, chickens and chicks from $10,000 to $60,000.
Truffelinos, two locations: Calle 95 No.13-34Bis and Hacienda Santa Bárbara Local No. A-138. Founded in 1979 it offers specialty products including textured Easter Eggs and Bunnies. Prices start at: $22,000.
Ixcacau, Calle 70 No.9-83. A top of the line store offering many goodies including an Easter basket with a Chocolate Bunny and 10 small eggs for $15,000.
La Castellana 104, Cra 19 No.104- 49. Another great place to buy Easter delights that are smartly presented with half-a-dozen eggs of different fillings available for $20,000. Stuffed bunnies with chocolate eggs are also available for $46,000.
Pastelería Arlequín, Calle 40 No.21- 91. This quaint and cozy pastry and chocolate shop has been serving Bogotanos in El Park Way for more than half a century. An array of chocolate motifs, bunnies, and eggs are available this holiday season from $5,000 to $45,000.
