Chocolate and Valentine’s Day

I’ve often wondered why some holidays lead the pack for chocolate consumption while others aren’t even on the radar. Of course, Valentine’s Day comes out on top, but why?

Since the days of the Aztecs chocolate has been used as a gift. Chocolate is more than food, it not only fills your belly but also makes you feel so good.

Elaine Sherman wrote “Chocolate is heavenly, mellow, sensual, deep, dark, sumptuous, gratifying, potent, dense, creamy, seductive, suggestive, rich, excessive, silky, smooth, luxurious, celestial. Chocolate is downfall, happiness, pleasure, love, ecstasy, fantasy … chocolate makes us wicked, guilty, sinful, healthy, chic, happy.”

What more could you want to say to your lover on Valentines Day? Even the scientific name for the tree from which chocolate is derived, Theobroma cacao, translated from Greek, means “food of the gods”.

There’s also the scientific explanation: chocolate contains phenylethylamine, an endorphin that, once released into the bloodstream, lifts your mood and gives you a sort of natural high, and to a small degree mimics the feeling of falling in love.

It also doesn’t hurt that it’s easy to give - it’s affordable, the variety is nearly endless, it’s small enough to ship or carry, and most everyone loves it so it’s hard to go wrong!