There are things that just go so well together: coffee and a cake, bread and butter. what goes with chocolate? Well, the most common answer is - love, chocolate and hearts are almost synonymous. But is there an established connection between the familiar pairing?
"Food of the Gods", "Fruit of Love", "The Eighth Wonder", and "Evil Pleasure" are just some of the many nicknames that chocolate has received among various languages and cultures. The Aztecs born out of the Mayan culture considered cocoa a source of good health and even incorporated it into rituals of inspiration. They used it to create a ritual drink in 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.
Although the ancient Aztecs strongly believed that chocolate was an aphrodisiac - a substance that increases desire, lust and passions, science has always questioned this. However, various 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 examining the effects of sweet taste on romantic perceptions, the researchers considered whether a variety of foods would evoke feelings of romance among study participants, and found that chocolate consumption causes our brains to release dopamine pleasure, which can put us in a state of infatuation.
They also found that we are more likely to start imagining hypothetical romantic relationships, and describe those relationships as binding and satisfying than those that did not consume chocolate. Add to that the fact that after consuming chocolate you may also derive more pleasure from the couple's kisses and increase your sexual desire - and you have received conclusive proof that chocolate simply communicates love.
Whether these studies are final or not, there are currently enough reasons to justify our craving for chocolate - which in its particularly delicious way contributes to sexual affection and wonderful taste in the mouth.
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