There are things that we just know go well together: chocolate with a bun, coffee with cake, bread with butter, and if you are asked what goes with chocolate? Well most of you will surely return love – in fact, chocolate and hearts are almost synonymous! But is there an established connection between the familiar and beloved pairing in whose name we send our loved ones chocolate gestures or stock up on chocolate packages as a romantic gesture?
The wonders of cocoa
"The food of the gods", "the fruit of love", "a better substitute for sex", "the eighth wonder", and "wicked pleasure" are just some of the many nicknames that cocoa has received among different languages and cultures. The Aztecs, who were born out of the Mayan culture, considered cocoa a source of good health and even incorporated it into rituals of holiness and inspiration. They used it to create a ritual drink during engagement and marriage ceremonies during which it was customary for the bride and groom to exchange five cocoa beans instead of a ring - as a blessing for a good, fruitful and abundant life. In doing so, they actually created one of the first known links between chocolate and romance.
How is chocolate related to love?
Although the ancient Aztecs strongly believed that chocolate was an aphrodisiac - a substance that increases passion, lust and instincts, science has always questioned it. However, different studies have recently found that there is a scientific reason to believe that there is indeed a connection between chocolate and love. In a series of experiments that examined the effects of sweet taste on romantic perceptions, the researchers considered whether a variety of foods would provoke feelings of romance among the study participants, and found that the consumption of chocolate causes our brain to release the pleasure dopamine, which can put us in a state of falling in love. In addition, they found that we are more likely to start imagining hypothetical romantic relationships, describing these relationships as binding and satisfying than those who have not consumed chocolate.
Whether these studies are final or not, there are currently enough reasons to justify our cravings for chocolate - which in its particularly delicious way contributes to sexual arousal, affectionate expression and wonderful taste in the mouth.
And how are we related to love?! We know how to make chocolate that stimulates it (especially before Valentine's Day =)