Chocolate Goodness

                   

             The first theme of our new game (new because it has restarted, not because it is different), was chocolate. I chose it because I had recently gone to Max Brenner’s in Manhattan with my sister. If any of you have ever been there, you know it is absolutely delicious. They have a full menu with a variety of Australian cuisines but the main attraction is dessert. I have gone there twice now and only ate dessert each time. Throughout the entire restaurant there is what appears to be pipes of flowing chocolate, though I assume they are fake. Still, the ambiance screams chocolate. They have chocolate cocktails, fondues, cakes, cookies, cocoas and more. It is like a chocolate paradise. I suppose I love the pipe décor because it also reminds me of my childhood. As a kid, we took trips many times each year to visit our family in Pennsylvania. On each trip, the best part was always the visit to Hershey. In the summer we would go to Hershey Park but in the colder months we would go to Chocolate World. It is a short ride that narrated the making of Hershey’s chocolates. The place always smelled of chocolate, you went through a heated tunnel to simulate cooking the chocolate, you saw machines to demonstrate the ones they really used, and you always got a piece of candy on the way out. Hershey will always be dear to my heart because of those happy memories and I can’t even see a Hershey bar (or some of their other candies) without being reminded of the good times as a child. 

                Now don’t get me wrong, chocolate places are great. But the reason they are so awesome is because they bring something so yummy into your world. Chocolate is a food that is known around the globe. Many different cultures eat it, or use it for different things. The Mayans and Aztecs used it in religious rituals and often used cocoa beans as offerings to the deities. It was incorporated into the diet of many cultures in the Americas whereas Europeans sweetened it and used it primarily in desserts. Today, chocolate is everywhere. It is used in all kinds of food as well as drinks. You can find it anytime and see it especially on holidays. Easter, Halloween and Valentine’s Day are three bigger ones that come to mind. But chocolate isn’t just a tasty treat. Some studies have shown that a moderate intake of chocolate can lower blood pressure. It also raises serotonin levels in the brain which causes the eater to feel happier. So next time you see a chocolate bar, don’t just think of it as a piece of candy. It is a sweet with a long history and one that could potentially benefit you, or at least put you in a good mood.