“I need chocolate!” – A bold statement, declaring that one is either in emotional turmoil, needs to be inspired, or literally requires chocolate to function. The latter probably happens too often to mention. For some, the chocolate addiction has reached such advanced stages that they begin to lose it altogether, and start making whole raw onions dunked in chocolate and covered in green sprinkles or even chocolate pizza. (Actually, we might be into that.)

What is it about bitter-sweet chocolate that’s so addictive? It could be the resulting release of endorphins that lift the spirits (and scale numbers), or maybe it’s the simple magic of the cocoa bean – what the Mayans and Aztecs believed was a food of the gods. Either way, here’s our guide to falling in love with chocolate all over again.

Five irresistible chocolate desserts

1. These decadent chocolate brownies with homemade praline by Charmaine Lilje from Chardonnay Chefs are superlatively gooey, and with a delightful crunch on top.
2. Baked cheesecake brownies with raspberry coulis will make you the ultimate chocolate champion amongst your friends. (Speaking of cheesecake, see our guide to great cheesecakes).
3. Try this chocolate mousse with macerated strawberries for the ultimate sweet ending to a meal.
4. This tart combines the classic flavours of orange and dark chocolate.
5. And, for those who thought there was no way to improve upon cheesecake, a white chocolate version with a crispy base made with amaretti biscuits and coconut.

Five places to buy artisan chocolate

1. The Lindt Chocolate Studios in Cape Town and Johannesburg supply your favourite slabs or Lindt balls in bulk, plus you can hand-pick perfect pralines from the glass display case.
2. Honest Chocolate produces raw handmade chocolate in Cape Town using only the finest raw (unroasted), organic Ecuadorian cacao. There are no preservatives, artificial flavourings or emulsifiers, so the chocolate is as pure as possible. It’s also free of dairy and processed sugar. They have two stores, one in the CBD and in Woodstock.
3. Geldhof Chocolatier in Johannesburg produces smooth, rich and high quality couverture chocolate. Choose from trays of elegant truffles, ganache logs and nut-topped dark chocolate squares.
4. Cocoa Fair is an organic chocolate factory in Cape Town that takes control of the whole process from bean to bar. Pick up a bar of chilli, vanilla or dark chocolate with cocoa solids ranging from 56%, 65%, 71% and 85% to a whopping 95%. Organic sugar and cocoa powder are also on offer.
5. La Chocolaterie Rococo in Oudtshoorn sells bite-sized handmade Belgium chocolate. Flavours include the flagship lavender, pecan and cinnamon; lemon (from their garden); fig and port; honey (from the Karoo); caramel and rooibos; white chocolate with rose petals and pansies; and blue cheese.

Five great places to eat chocolate fondants

1. 95 Keerom in Cape Town (winner of Best Italian Restaurant at the 2011 Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards)
2. Clico Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg
3. Café Beyritz in Pretoria
4. Gigi’s Brasserie in Ballito
5. Café Chic in Cape Town

Read our countrywide list of chocolate fondants.

Five ridiculous chocolate recipes

1. Homemade chocolate ice-cream (you don’t even need an ice-cream maker)
2. Ina Garten’s outrageous brownies
3. Triple chocolate scones
4. Chocolate ganache custard cake
5. Chocolate malt ice cream cake

By Kelly Pluke

Are you a Nutella lover? (Who isn’t?!) Check out our list of 10 things to do with Nutella if you run out of clean teaspoons.