Chocolate for Valentine’s Day

For years, we have associated Valentine’s Day and the rich, delectable edible treat: chocolate. However, long before the popularization of the February holiday, ancient cultures were harvesting and processing cocoa beans to extract their romance-enhancing properties.

For example, the Aztecs believed that chocolate was an aphrodisiac. In fact, the famous emperor Montezuma was said to have eaten cocoa beans prior to lovemaking to “fuel his romantic trysts”.

Chocolate was extremely popular at Versailles as well, famously used for its medicinal benefits by Marie Antoinette and her chocolatier-in-residence. Madam du Barry, the famous French courtesan in the court of Louis XV, was said to mix chocolate with amber to arouse the passions of her lovers.

During the Victorian era, Valentine’s Day became extremely popular across Europe. At that time, it was customary to celebrate with roses and poetry, but sweet food was not yet associated with the holiday because sugar was prohibitively expensive.

It was the Cadbury family of England that found a profitable way to serve chocolate for Valentine’s Day in the 1860s. They packaged “eating chocolates” in heart-shaped boxes that recipients could save afterwards to store love letters and trinkets.

Now, Valentines Day and chocolates are considered a natural pairing. Though scientists dispute veracity of chocolate’s purported libido-boosting powers, you can’t deny it is an extremely enjoyable and sensuous culinary experience that gets your whole body tingling!

One of our favourite chocolatiers at Green & Green is Perugina which produces Baci chocolates (the Italian word for ‘kiss’). Perugina is made in the undeniably romantic Umbrian region of Italy, and features Italian hazelnuts and dark chocolate. Legend has it, the co-founder Luisa Spagnoli used to wrap love notes around these delicious morsels and give them to her lover.

However you choose to celebrate Valentines Day with you partner, be sure to include a little taste of chocolate to set the mood. We have Valentines Day gifts that feature fabulous imported and local chocolate products. Give us a call or check out our website to order a basket of gift box full of sensuous, sweet treats to make your partner feel special and provide a little edible pleasure. Happy Valentine’s Day!