Melting more than hearts
HOW CHOCOLATE BECAME LOVE’S FAVOURITE FLAVOUR
From ancient rituals to modern-day celebrations, chocolate has long been associated with love and romance. Whether studied historically as a divine aphrodisiac by ancient civilisations or gifted as a token of affection on a modern Valentine’s Day, chocolate’s allure transcends time, taste and trends. So how exactly has it become the food world’s favourite symbol of passion?
Emperor Montezuma’s love potion
The ancient Aztecs believed that chocolate was a divine gift from the gods, especially associated with fertility and passion. Emperor Montezuma II of the Aztec empire famously drank large quantities of a frothy, bitter chocolate beverage called “xocoatl” to boost his virility and stamina, using it as a potent aphrodisiac before courting his many wives. The drink was very different from what we associate with chocolate today. It was a frothy, spicy concoction made from ground cacao beans, water, and chilli peppers, and the Emperor is rumoured to have had 50 or more goblets of this chocolate elixir daily.
European courtship and chocolate
Chocolate first traveled to Europe via Spanish explorers in the 16th century, specifically brought back by Hernán Cortés from Mexico. It quickly became a luxurious indulgence favoured by royalty and aristocrats, and was often served during romantic encounters and flirtations because it was thought to stimulate the senses and enhance desire, much like the famed French courts where chocolate was paired with elegant courtship rituals.
Casanova’s chocolate habit
The legendary 18th-century lover Giacomo Casanova reportedly believed chocolate boosted his romantic prowess. He was known to consume large amounts of hot chocolate before courting women, embracing its supposed aphrodisiac qualities, referring to to it as the “elixir of love”. He believed it provided the energy needed for his romantic adventures and even ranked it second only to champagne as a love-enhancing beverage.
Queen Victoria’s chocolate craze
The iconic queen of England was famously fond of chocolate, often gifting it to her beloved husband Prince Albert. This royal endorsement helped popularise chocolate as a luxurious, romantic gift in Victorian England. Victoria also believed in the treat’s abilities to enhance moods, and she famously gifted over 100,000 tins of chocolate to British soldiers during wartime as a morale booster.
The romantic symbolism of cocoa in art and literature
Throughout history, chocolate has appeared in poetry, art, and literature as a metaphor for love’s richness and complexity. Baroque still-life paintings, particularly those from the Dutch Golden Age, often feature chocolate alongside ripe fruits and flowers. Poets like Voltaire, Thomas Moore and Pablo Neruda have all paid tribute to the taste of the sweet treat, and iconic sitcoms like I love Lucy have entire episodes centred on our fixation with it.
Chocolate and Valentine’s Day
In the 19th century, chocolate began to be associated with Valentine’s Day thanks to excellent marketing from figures like Richard Cadbury, who popularised boxed chocolates as gifts of love in 1861. This tradition reinforced chocolate’s reputation as a symbol of romance, sweet affection, and indulgence between lovers. These days, it’s everyone’s cost-effective gift go-to when diamonds aren’t on the table.
What does science say?
Just as cacao’s official name, theobroma, is derived from Greek, meaning “food of the gods”, Chocolate contains compounds like phenylethylamine which is referred to as the “love drug”. Phenylethylamine raises blood pressure and heart rate and triggers the release of hormones like norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, all strongly linked to our brain’s pleasure system.
Cocoa also contains theobromine, which can boost moods and increase feelings of pleasure and excitement, giving some scientific backing to its historical reputation as an aphrodisiac, and potentially explaining why our desire to enjoy the treat with a side of affection dates back thousands of years.
Whether you believe in the spellbinding effects of chocolate for lovers or not, there’s no denying that it’s an easy and usually delicious way to make someone smile.