Why chocolate for Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day is many things to different people: an opportunity to start new relationships, rekindle old ones, or remind that special someone how wonderful they really are. Others feel that it is just another “signature” holiday where they are expected to do something for unknown reasons. Regardless of your hopes, expectations, or reservations about Valentine’s Day, chocolate has long been a lover’s favorite gift.
Since the days of the Aztecs, chocolate has been used as a gift. Today a box of luxurious quality chocolate says a thousand “thank you”, “good luck” or “I love you”. Chocolate can be given as a way of saying “congratulations,” “sorry,” or “get well soon.” On Valentine’s Day, the chocolate clearly says “I LOVE YOU!” Chocolate is more than food, not only does it fill your belly, but it also makes you feel so good. Elaine Sherman wrote: “Chocolate is heavenly, smooth, sensual, deep, dark, sumptuous, rewarding, potent, dense, creamy, seductive, suggestive, rich, excessive, silky, smooth, luxurious, heavenly. Chocolate is falling, bliss. , pleasure, love, ecstasy, fantasy … chocolate makes us evil, guilty, sinful, healthy, elegant, happy “. What else could you want to say to your lover on Valentine’s Day? Even the scientific name of the tree from which chocolate is derived, Theobroma cacao, translated from the Greek, means “food of the gods.”
Why does chocolate evoke so many feelings and emotions in us? Chocolate has long been associated with passion, romance, and love. This association can be traced back to the Aztecs. They believed that chocolate was a source of spiritual wisdom, incredible energy, and high sexual power. Chocolate was widely used as a bridal aid and was widely served at wedding ceremonies. The Aztecs did not know chocolate as we know it today; they consumed cocoa as a drink. Reports indicate that Emperor Montezuma consumed large amounts of the drink every day and always fortified himself with a cup before entertaining his harem. The explorer Cortés informed Carlos I of Spain that chocolate is “… the divine drink that creates resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink allows a man to walk for a whole day without eating.” From the earliest times, chocolate was considered a substance of power and a source of vitality.
Chocolate has been a subject of study since the first shipment from Veracruz arrived in Spain in 1585. But modern science has made some interesting findings that may help explain our lust for quality chocolate. Chocolate contains organic substances known as alkaloids. The most important of these substances is theobromine, which acts as a kidney stimulant. The stimulants in chocolate also affect the central nervous system, with effects similar to caffeine, which is also present in chocolate. A chocolate bar can contain up to 200 mg of theobromine, but only about 25 mg of caffeine. Another important substance found in chocolate is phenylethylamine, which is part of a group of chemicals known as endorphins. Endorphins have an effect similar to amphetamine and are found naturally in the human body. When endorphins are released into the bloodstream, the mood is lifted and feelings of positive energy are achieved. The feeling known as “runner’s high” is caused by endorphins released during exercise. Phenylethylamine levels in the brain have also been linked to “falling in love.” Another chemical found in chocolate is serotonin. Serotonin is known for its calming properties. The presence of these chemicals can explain the multitude of feelings that chocolate evokes.
Debra Waterhouse, author of Why Women Need Chocolate, conducted a survey and found: 97% of women reported cravings, 68% of which are for chocolate, 50% would choose chocolate over sex, and 22% were more likely to men choose chocolate. like a mood elevator. These findings could easily be interpreted as a result of how chocolate makes us feel. I don’t know why more women choose chocolate than men, because I am a man and I love chocolate.
Critics would say that the benefits of eating chocolate are small compared to the sugar and fat in a chocolate bar. The best chocolate, dark chocolate with high cocoa butter content has no added fat, as well as a high percentage of cocoa solids and, consequently, less sugar. Although chocolate will never be considered a health food for its nutritional value, it is still good for you! Good for the heart and soul, anything that helps relieve stress and makes you feel so good should be.
Receiving a well-wrapped box of chocolates creates a feeling of anticipation. The pleasure of unwrapping the box, the sensual smell, lifting the soft seductive papers, the gaze of the soft dark chocolates. When it finally passes your lips and begins to melt instantly filling your mouth with exquisite pleasure. Taste and smell flood your senses with overwhelming ecstasy. Eating it slowly, taking time to enjoy it and savor it all. What better way to start an evening of love?