Why do we give chocolate for Valentine’s Day? Three reasons…

Valentine’s Day – the day of love – is getting close. Of course, chocolate is perfect for creating Valentine’s Day treats, as it’s not only easy to work with and delicious, but also allows you to indulge others as well as yourself. In 2018 almost $ 1.8 billion was spent on sweets and chocolate for Valentine’s Day. But exactly why do we give the gift of chocolate on Valentine’s Day? We’d like to share three reasons with you:

1. Chocolate gives powers of love

The Aztecs created a beverage named ‘Xocolatl’, containing cocoa, honey and vanilla, which was believed to give special powers and arouse passion. The Aztec king would drink this potion before entering his harem, leading Spanish explorers to conclude that this ‘chocolate’ must indeed give special powers of love.

2. Food of the Gods

The scientific name of the cocoa tree is Theobroma cocoa in Greek: literally translated as ‘Food of the Gods’. What better way to spoil someone than offering them a treat good enough for Gods?

3. Chocolate influences your mood

Historical anecdotes are now supported by scientific evidence. Chocolate – ‘the love drug’ – contains phenylethylalanine. This releases endorphins in your brain, resulting in the same happy feeling you experience when in love.

Different cultures celebrate Valentine’s Day in different ways. In the US, Valentine’s Day a celebration of love in the broadest sense and even children share valentine cards and sweets with their parents. In Japan, it’s the biggest chocolate moment of the year, with women offering chocolate gifts – “Giri Choco” – to men. In South Korea, women also present chocolate to men, who return the favour by giving sweets a month later. In Argentina, celebrations last a week and in Taiwan, Valentine’s Day is celebrated twice each year – on February 14 and July 7.

Chocolate is indispensable on Valentine’s Day – and we’d like to help you astonish your customers and loved once with Veliche Gourmet products, with their outstanding sensorial profile. We aim to inspire you and support your passion with products suitable for every application and remarkably easy to work into your Valentine’s Day masterpieces and other unique creations.

What’s more, Veliche Gourmet doesn’t only allow you to indulge others as well as yourself – by using these 100% sustainable products, you can show a little love to our planet, too! All the cocoa we buy for our chocolate products is sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms, helping conserve natural resources.

We help you create the treats people will enjoy and remember! That’s why we have developed four especially delicious recipes for Valentine’s Day. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels in the days to come to get hold of these recipes for love!