Bouchée

Brand: Côte D’Or

Cost: 7 KR

Found at: Coop

This chocolate is too fancy for me.

That is not to say that I do not like it – I can always accustom myself to the finer things in life – but this chocolate goes just a little too far. It evokes a level of luxury that I feel embarrassed to attain. I should have known from the wrapper: a deep, matte red packaging with glittering gold lettering and the image of an elephant rising up above an accented e. Clearly, the marketing department did not believe in such phrases as: “a bit much,” “gilding the lily” or “shamelessly excessive.” But it did not stop there. Inside the wrapping, the chocolate itself is shaped like a 1920s art-nouveau illustration of a luxury vehicle. It’s the kind of shape one associates with late-night gin runs and women with long scarves and short haircuts. Even Gatsby would blush! Not to mention the indecent richness of the confection itself. The chocolate coating was so soft and buttery – easily melting in the heat of my hand – filled with a rich, creamy milk-chocolate filling that was lightly hazelnut flavored (like Nutella’s richer cousin).

The overall effect is absolutely delicious and decadent, but I couldn’t help feeling a little bit guilty eating it – like a maid who has snuck a chocolate from a fancy dinner party. It’s just a little too nice for the likes of me. It was designed be eaten over cocktails while wearing pearls and talking about jazz and it does not seem right to eat it in sweatpants while watching a YouTube marathon of vice documentaries.