Today I’m grateful for Riegelein Chocolate Lady Bugs.

Just little Pieces of Chocolate?

What are Riegelein Chocolate Lady Bugs? They are little pieces of chocolate that are shaped to look vaguely like a bug. They come in a cute foil wrapper, with little feet made of cardboard glued to the bottom. The chocolate is decent quality, but otherwise not fancy. Imported food shops here in Canada sometimes sell them individually at checkout, typically around the holidays. They can also be purchased as a package directly from Riegelein.

The manufacturer Riegelein is a German company. Founded in 1953 near Nuremberg, they specialise in making seasonal chocolate figures. They make products for Christmas, Easter, New Years, Valentines Day, and Halloween. They produce the Lady Bugs as part of their Easter product line.

Why they matter

When I was young my Mom worked in an office in Hamilton, Ontario. We lived far away, and she had a long commute. This meant she would always be home late into the evening, but this also meant she had access to many interesting shops including a grocery store called Denningers. Beyond just normal grocery items, Denningers is known for selling European imported foods. My Mom’s family is German so they would often shop there, and she was always very fond the place. Denningers sells the Riegelein Chocolate Lady bugs at their checkout.

Here is why I am very grateful for these little treats. Ever-so-often my Mom would come home late after work, and after putting her things away she’d call my brother and I to the kitchen. She would then say, “Hold out your hands, and when you open them you will see a big surprise”, and there would be a chocolate lady bug in each of our hands. To us this was very obviously unsurprising, but we were always very excited none-the-less. This is one of my most cherished memories from my childhood.

Whenever I have the opportunity I try to buy them, but in general they are hard to come by. They are only made for the Easter season and no shop that I’ve ever found has inventory available year round (not even Denningers). That just means it’s always a very pleasant surprise when I see them.

Update

On March 2nd 2026, I had the opportunity to visit Denningers in Hamilton. To my surprise they had a display right at the front that was absolutely filled with Riegelein products, including the ladybugs! I assume that Riegelein must have recently completed their easter production and Denningers have recieved their order.

I have literally never seen so many of these little things in one place. I took full advantage of my opportunity: I grabbed several handfuls, filling my basket.

I now have a big container in my fridge filled with these little chocolates, ready for special occasions, and when I want to remember my Mom.

I am so grateful for Riegelein Chocolate Lady Bugs today. 😃