26 Nov 2025

The history of the iconic chocolate fish 

From Nights, 8:20 pm on 26 November 2025

The chocolate fish - it seems as entrenched in kiwi culture as the likes of L&P and the pavlova.

Wikipedia describes them as "a popular Kiwi treat - commonly given as bonuses for doing a good job or as a compliment."

Senior writer at The Spinoff, Alex Casey has been taking a deep dive into the history of the chocolate fish and why they are our preferred reward for a job well done, 

She joins Emile Donovan.

Chocolate fish

Chocolate fish are popular Kiwi treats - commonly given as bonuses for doing a good job or as a compliment. Photo: Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0