The official name is “Lindt and Sprungli”. I can see why they generally like to go with just “Lindt” on the packaging, even though it sounds a bit, umm, dusty. “Sprungli” just sounds wrong – “Egads! This chocolate has gone all sprungli – alert the Oompah-loompahs!”

Lindt is based in Switzerland, where it all started back in 1845 in a small shop in Zurich. Interestingly that’s around the same time that Ghirardelli – the American company Lindt bought out in 1998 – got started in San Fransisco. Lindt has grown into a worldwide choc-glomerate (hey, I made up a new word!), mostly by buying out other companies like Ghirardelli. Other chocolate makers that have been absorbed into the Sprungli empire include the Austrian Hofbauer and Italian Caffare.

Of course, Lindt markets their own brand of chocolate too. I still remember their chocolate Easter Bunnies from when I was a child. Great stuff. That gives me an idea! This is the Chinese year of the Rabbit – sounds like a good reason to get some chocolate bunnies for the nieces and nephews. And I should order a couple of extras in case some get damaged in shipping – yeah, that’s the ticket.