What is it about chocolate that makes it so appealing? For many, chocolate is associated with celebrations. It often comes wrapped in gold, or packaged in fancy plastic clamshells or ribbon-bedecked gift boxes. This connects chocolate with luxury, a little indulgence that even those of us on a budget can afford. Chocolate has become a popular gift for one’s spouse or sweetheart, also connecting it to romance. In so many ways, we’re emotionally primed to connect a gift of chocolate to complex associations. Journaling about different variations of chocolate can help you understand those associations, and potentially learn something about yourself in the process.

The cacao content and flavor profile that appeals to you may even vary based on the geographical area where you grew up. At a recent event, when the audience was asked whether they preferred white chocolate (which yes, is legally a category of chocolate according to the USDA) over other chocolate, one of the attendees who said yes said that it was an obvious choice because she is from Canada, where white chocolate is popular.

Chocolate is considered desirable on a level different from most other foods, at least in this country. But it is easy to eat chocolate without truly experiencing it. Thinking about what the chocolate you are eating AVTUALLY tastes like, especially if it is a bar highlighting the cacao beans from a specific region, can help us understand what goes into growing and producing it. This can be eye-opening about food in general. Learning to detect flavor notes in the chocolate you eat can be similar to learning about wine, where so much of the resulting taste is dependent on the specifics of the soil, the amount of rain and the whimsey of a given year. Whatever your preference, just remember, “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz