Whether you like dark or milk, with nuts or without, melted over ice cream or straight out of the box, today is Valentine’s Day and yes, go ahead, eat a piece of chocolate! It’s easy to fall in love with chocolate, especially when you know it more intimately. Here are some facts about chocolate that might even allay the guilt:
- Chocolate comes from the Aztec word “Xocolati” which means bitter water
- Chocolate was domesticated in South America near the Amazon Basin 4000 years ago
- Chocolate was a beverage until J.S. Fry& Sons, a British Firm, made it solid by adding more cocoa butter to the recipe
- Richard Cadbury is responsible for the heart shaped box that we associate with Valentine’s Day in the mid-19th Century
- Chocolate was once a cure all which doctors used to treat fevers, aid digestion, relieve pain and fight fatigue
- Chocolate contains antioxidants that may lower bad cholesterol
- It contains flavonoids that are anti-inflammatory and may lower blood pressure
- Phenylethylamine, a chemical found in chocolate, helps release serotonin and endorphins for that feeling of well being and love
- Demand for chocolate will increase by 25% by 2020 as more people in the developing world are able to afford it
So go ahead and snap off a piece from your favorite bar and let it melt in your mouth. Then, make sure to smell the roses!
