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Yesterday as I scoured the shops looking for something for my Father’s birthday which sufficiently fulfilled his request for ‘something quirky from Germany’ (I got him this), I found these delightfully cute chocolate frogs from Lindt.
Lindt Froschkönig (Frog King)
However, I had no idea why Lindt would be selling cute little green frogs in February, or really any time at all. Therefore, I asked the great and wise collective wisdom that is Twitter, but Twitter failed me.
C N Heidelberg suggested that these may be for Valentine’s Day and pointed me towards Lindt’s website that gave a little blurb about the stresses of modern day life when we have too little time to dream of love, but again no definitive proof that this is a Valentine’s Day chocolate (although it’s highly likely that it is).
My question to the great wise Internet is, is it customary in Germany to give our unrequited loves a chocolate frog on Valentine’s Day rather than a chocolate heart? If so, when did this strange tradition begin? Or is the Lindt chocolate frog Lindt’s way to differentiate themselves from all the other chocolate makers by shunning the typical heart shaped Valentine’s chocolate for something a little different?
huh. never seen those before.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Frog_Prince_%28story%29
What we call colloquially a “frog prince” story is called “frog king” in Germany! Also Iron Henry, which is a whole other compliment to give someone on Valentine’s Day.
Most probably the chocolate frog king refers to an old German fairy tale (“Der Froschkoenig”). It’s about a prince who gets cursed and has to become a frog until he finds a princess who is not afraid of frogs and gives him a kiss (while he is still a frog). Of course, he gets his kiss, turns back into the good-looking prince he had been before and marries the princess in the end. So the princess gets her reward for being an animal lover :-)
I know the story of the Frog Prince, but am puzzled as to why it seems to become a suitable Valentine’s Day gift in Germany.
Never heard of it as a gift. And I’ve never seen them before, at least not consciously. Cute though
I guess if the frog doesn’t turn into a prince you’ve still got the chocolate! I’d probably rather have the chocolate anyway x
Alpine air in a can? Wow.
Also, when I worked at IKEA they did a complete heart themed range for Christmas. As North Americans we were baffled by this, wondering why, exactly, they were making a mash-up of Valentines and Christmas. Upon some research, however, we learned that the Swedes just do hearts for Christmas – it’s their thing.
I’m going to assume frogs for Valentines day is just a German thing.
I love lindt chocolate.. (and I have never seen this frog before) Where do they sell them?
They were available everywhere, but I saw them first in Karlstadt. However, they have now all been replaced with the Easter bunnies.
Those who mentioned the Frog King/Iron Henry story are correct. Lindt’s Frogs are a homage to one of the first Brothers Grimm stories (famous German writers of the 1800s responsibly for most of the 70′s Disney repertoire. However a lot darker in their original translations). Essentially the story is a love story thus why the frogs come out at Valentines Day but are also sold in the beginning of spring (in stores now).