A chocolate fish or choccy fish is a traditional confectionery item in New Zealand. In New Zealand culture, it is a common reward for a job done well ("Give that kid a chocolate fish").[1][2][3][4][5]
 Two chocolate fish | |
| Type | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | New Zealand |
| Main ingredients | Pink or white marshmallow, milk chocolate |
Chocolate fish have a conventional fish-shape and a length of 5 to 8 centimetres (2.0 to 3.1 in). They are made of pink or white marshmallow covered in a thin layer of milk chocolate. The ripples or "scales" on the fish are created simply by the fish moving under a blower; this slides the unset chocolate back, creating the illusion of scales on the fish.
Several manufacturers make the fish; the most well-recognised is Cadbury.[6] Smaller, or "fun-sized" variants of the chocolate fish are colloquially referred to as "sprats". Variants of the traditional item exist; a common version is made of solid orange-flavoured milk chocolate.
History
editChocolate fish have been made since at least 1903,[7] though early varieties may not have included marshmallow. Marshmallow-based chocolate fish were being produced in Dunedin in 1937.[8] For a short period in the late 1990s to early 2000s, Tip Top sold a chocolate fish ice-cream.[9] In 2019, the chocolate fish was added to the Cadbury Favourites box.[10]
In 1970, Ron Barclay, Member of Parliament for New Plymouth, asked a question in Parliament about the price of chocolate fish.[11][12]
Cadbury stopped producing 20g chocolate fish in 2023, stating that they had become less popular with consumers. They continued to include 'sprats' in Favourites boxes.[13] As of 2024, local company Queen Anne produces a 50g fish[13] and 14g fish that it calls 'fish bites',[14] and other companies also sell variations.
References
edit- ^ "...each presented with a large chocolate fish", 1933, Evening Post
- ^ "I'll Buy You A Chocolate Fish If...", 1973
- ^ "The food we love – the tastes of New Zealanders". my.christchurchcitylibraries.com. October 13, 2014.
- ^ "...for many years a brand of chocolate fish was known as “Pelorus Jack”.", 1966, A Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
- ^ "...Sir Geoffrey Palmer offered the audience a chocolate fish for anyone who could define privacy.", Privacy Commissioner
- ^ "Chocfishtory". The Chocolate Fish Company. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
- ^ "The latest novelty [advertisement]". Auckland Star. 7 April 1903. p. 2.
- ^ Booth, Peggy (18 September 1937). "The postie's bag". Evening Star.
Upstairs I saw the pink mixture of the chocolate fish. In big boxes there was French chalk, with the shapes of the fish in them.
- ^ "Marshmallow ice-cream conquered", 04/06/2010, stuff.co.nz
- ^ Ramsey, Teresa (October 11, 2019). "Chocolate fish added to Cadbury Favourites - how does it rate?". Retrieved October 11, 2019.
- ^ "The price of chocolate fish". Press. 7 November 1970. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
- ^ "Chocolate fish prices". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).House of Representatives: v. 1970.
- ^ a b "Cadbury stops making chocolate fish, supplies almost gone". RNZ. 2024-06-27. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
- ^ "Chocolate Fish". Queen Anne Chocolates. Retrieved 2024-08-22.