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14 Facts About the One Valentine’s Day Cliché We Can All Get Behind

by Samia Qaiyum

3-MINUTE READ

February 14, 2017

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Behind the Scenes: Spring 2012 “Ain’t She Sweet” Shoot

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by Samia Qaiyum

3-MINUTE READ

February 14, 2017

Photo: Courtesy of Forrey & Galland

Valentine’s Day is to holidays what Donald Trump is to American politics – downright divisive. In fact, we can practically hear you from the Savoir Flair office. Some of you are groaning, and some of you are giddy. The one thing about today, however, that we can all agree on? Chocolate. And lots of it.

To that end, we reached out to the experts at Forrey & Galland to discuss the weird and wonderful world of all things chocolate – and considering that the Dubai-based “haute couture chocolate house” is a revival of what was originally a luxury chocolatier established in Paris back in 1912, we knew we were in good hands. While the macarons at Forrey & Galland are a star attraction, it’s the decadent range of chocolate that keeps loyalists coming back for more.

Here, French chocolate-making techniques are combined with regional flavors – tea, spices, premium Omani halwa, and even rose petals – to make for offerings that are almost impossible to find elsewhere. And if that wasn’t enough, Forrey & Galland has put together 14 facts about chocolate to help you appreciate what February 14th is (mostly) about.

Ever wonder why your favorite guilty pleasure and Valentine's Day go hand in hand? Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, the same chemical that is released in the brain when one falls in love.

Photo: Courtesy of @BokehBites

Alfred Hitchcock used Bosco chocolate syrup to depict blood in the infamous shower scene of his psychological thriller 'Psycho'.

Aiming to up your step count? Eat more chocolate! One chocolate chip provides enough energy to walk 46 meters.

Roughly 40 percent of all almonds produced worldwide are used in chocolate products.

People who feel depressed tend to eat about 55 percent more chocolate than those who aren’t, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

legally blonde reese witherspoon eating chocolate wide

GIF: Courtesy of Giphy

The Swiss consume the most chocolate per capita of any country worldwide, with the average person indulging in just under 20 pounds each year.

Ruth Wakefield, who accidentally invented the chocolate chip cookie back in 1930, sold the idea to Nestlé Toll House in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate.

Photo: Courtesy of @ZenaNZaatar

M&Ms were initially created in 1941 as a way for American soldiers to enjoy chocolate without it melting.

Healthy eating entails a side of chocolate – honestly! Researchers at the University of Cambridge found that consuming chocolate may reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease by about one-third.

If you’ve been fighting a persistent cough throughout winter, think chocolate. Research at the UK-based National Heart and Lung Institute claims that theobromine, a compound in cocoa, is more effective than codeine in suppressing vagus-nerve activity, which causes coughing.

The next time you make hot chocolate, reach for an orange- or cream-colored cup, because how you serve food or drink – color of vessel included – can impact your perception of taste, as proven by a study published in the Journal of Sensory Studies.

White chocolate isn't actually chocolate since it’s made from cocoa butter, which doesn’t contain the cocoa solids used to make chocolate.

Photo: Courtesy of @ThriveMags

Cocoa beans may just be the best source of antioxidants out there. While domestic blueberries clock in at 32 antioxidants, and wild blueberries at 61, cocoa beans have a whopping 621!

Chocolate has largely lived life as a liquid, not a solid – for 90% of its history, in fact. The ancient Mayan and Aztec people preferred their chocolate drink bitter and spicy, combining crushed cocoa beans with water, chili peppers, and cornmeal.

Now celebrate the union of chocolate and hazelnut in a jar with our edit of the best Nutella-based recipes.

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14 Facts About the One Valentine’s Day Cliché We Can All Get Behind

Related Article

Behind the Scenes: Spring 2012 “Ain’t She Sweet” Shoot

Ever wonder why your favorite guilty pleasure and Valentine's Day go hand in hand? Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, the same chemical that is released in the brain when one falls in love.

Alfred Hitchcock used Bosco chocolate syrup to depict blood in the infamous shower scene of his psychological thriller 'Psycho'.

Aiming to up your step count? Eat more chocolate! One chocolate chip provides enough energy to walk 46 meters.

Roughly 40 percent of all almonds produced worldwide are used in chocolate products.

People who feel depressed tend to eat about 55 percent more chocolate than those who aren’t, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The Swiss consume the most chocolate per capita of any country worldwide, with the average person indulging in just under 20 pounds each year.

Ruth Wakefield, who accidentally invented the chocolate chip cookie back in 1930, sold the idea to Nestlé Toll House in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate.

M&Ms were initially created in 1941 as a way for American soldiers to enjoy chocolate without it melting.

Healthy eating entails a side of chocolate – honestly! Researchers at the University of Cambridge found that consuming chocolate may reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease by about one-third.

If you’ve been fighting a persistent cough throughout winter, think chocolate. Research at the UK-based National Heart and Lung Institute claims that theobromine, a compound in cocoa, is more effective than codeine in suppressing vagus-nerve activity, which causes coughing.

The next time you make hot chocolate, reach for an orange- or cream-colored cup, because how you serve food or drink – color of vessel included – can impact your perception of taste, as proven by a study published in the Journal of Sensory Studies.

White chocolate isn't actually chocolate since it’s made from cocoa butter, which doesn’t contain the cocoa solids used to make chocolate.

Cocoa beans may just be the best source of antioxidants out there. While domestic blueberries clock in at 32 antioxidants, and wild blueberries at 61, cocoa beans have a whopping 621!

Chocolate has largely lived life as a liquid, not a solid – for 90% of its history, in fact. The ancient Mayan and Aztec people preferred their chocolate drink bitter and spicy, combining crushed cocoa beans with water, chili peppers, and cornmeal.

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14 Facts About the One Valentine’s Day Cliché We Can All Get Behind

Related Article

Behind the Scenes: Spring 2012 “Ain’t She Sweet” Shoot

Ever wonder why your favorite guilty pleasure and Valentine's Day go hand in hand? Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, the same chemical that is released in the brain when one falls in love.

Alfred Hitchcock used Bosco chocolate syrup to depict blood in the infamous shower scene of his psychological thriller 'Psycho'.

Aiming to up your step count? Eat more chocolate! One chocolate chip provides enough energy to walk 46 meters.

Roughly 40 percent of all almonds produced worldwide are used in chocolate products.

People who feel depressed tend to eat about 55 percent more chocolate than those who aren’t, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The Swiss consume the most chocolate per capita of any country worldwide, with the average person indulging in just under 20 pounds each year.

Ruth Wakefield, who accidentally invented the chocolate chip cookie back in 1930, sold the idea to Nestlé Toll House in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate.

M&Ms were initially created in 1941 as a way for American soldiers to enjoy chocolate without it melting.

Healthy eating entails a side of chocolate – honestly! Researchers at the University of Cambridge found that consuming chocolate may reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease by about one-third.

If you’ve been fighting a persistent cough throughout winter, think chocolate. Research at the UK-based National Heart and Lung Institute claims that theobromine, a compound in cocoa, is more effective than codeine in suppressing vagus-nerve activity, which causes coughing.

The next time you make hot chocolate, reach for an orange- or cream-colored cup, because how you serve food or drink – color of vessel included – can impact your perception of taste, as proven by a study published in the Journal of Sensory Studies.

White chocolate isn't actually chocolate since it’s made from cocoa butter, which doesn’t contain the cocoa solids used to make chocolate.

Cocoa beans may just be the best source of antioxidants out there. While domestic blueberries clock in at 32 antioxidants, and wild blueberries at 61, cocoa beans have a whopping 621!

Chocolate has largely lived life as a liquid, not a solid – for 90% of its history, in fact. The ancient Mayan and Aztec people preferred their chocolate drink bitter and spicy, combining crushed cocoa beans with water, chili peppers, and cornmeal.

Next In

#Wanderlust: How a Savoir Flair Editor Fell in Love with a Maldives Hotel

Extra Extra: Here's What You Missed from the Week of June 18, 2017

Suite Stay: The Luxurious Corinthia Hotel in London

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