Among the several gifts in the Valentine’s Day bouquet (Red roses? Check. Champagne? You bet.), there’s one final ingredient to complete the holy troika: chocolate. The ubiquitous large, red, heart-shaped box, with dozens of mysterious, bite-size confections is as symbolic to Valentine’s Day as mistletoe is to Christmas.
And according to those in the know, the connection between chocolate and romance dates back long before Russell Stover.
“Chocolate came to us from Mesoamerica,” says upscale Malibu chocolatier Diane Krön. “Montezuma used to drink 40 cups of cocoa a day and then run around in his harem. So, clearly, chocolate is good for your libido.”
Krön, the owner of the eponymously named Chocolatier shop in Cross Creek, first opened a chocolatier, or chocolate shop, with her late husband Thomas in New York City in the early ’70s. They catered to an upscale clientele, including the likes of Jacqueline Onassis and Andy Warhol, while Krön says her husband’s invention of the chocolate-covered strawberry garnered a write-up in the New York Times and lines around the block.
“My husband’s family made chocolates for Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, so I’m a purist when it comes to chocolate,” said Krön, who is no fan of putting insects or chilis in her favorite confection. “Why disguise the real taste of chocolate? Highest quality chocolate is a taste that lingers and gets better.”
Krön insists chocolate is good for the health “if you don’t mess it up with too much sugar,” claiming it raises serotonin levels and promotes a feeling of well-being. Which leads to romance, of course—thus, Montezuma in his harem.
In fact, research has found evidence that cocoa products can have a salubrious effect on health. According to studies from the Mayo Clinic, flavanols in cocoa beans have antioxidant effects that reduce cell damage implicated in heart disease. These flavanols also help lower blood pressure and improve vascular function. Some research has linked chocolate consumption to reduced risks of diabetes, stroke and heart attack.
And to further its reputation as a “love drug,” chocolate contains PEA, or phenethylamine. This chemical stimulates the nervous system and triggers the release of endorphins, activating dopamine, the neurochemical directly associated with pleasure. So that giddy feeling you have when first in love is due slightly to PEA and maybe a bit to the fire in her eyes when she gazes at you.
The earliest evidence of cultivation of cacao beans (from which cocoa is made) was from the Olmec people in south central Mexico around 1100 BC. Spanish conquistadors took the chocolate beverage made from cocoa to Europe, where court chefs added sugar and milk to create a drink fit for kings.
In the early 19th century, Briton John Cadbury developed an emulsification process that solidified chocolate—creating the modern candy bar. In 1903, Milton S. Hershey built a plant in Pennsylvania to mass manufacture milk chocolate bars, becoming one of the first American companies to recognize the value of treating workers like family in their small manufacturing town, providing them with relaxing leisure activities and living wages.
In 1907, Hershey introduced a bite-size, conical-shaped chocolate wrapped in foil named the “Hershey’s Kiss,” purportedly because of the puckering sound the machine made when squirting out the candy.
While chocolate’s connection with love dates back many centuries, people are still experimenting with new creations.
Her most popular items, Krön says, are liquor-filled candies: chocolate- encased shots of Johnny Walker Blue, Patron Silver or Ketel One Vodka.
“Two of these and you need a designated driver.”
