Piece of Heaven

When Cristopher Columbus returned to Spain from his fourth voyage to the New World in 1502, he brought treasures to King Ferdinand. He brought almond-shaped seeds to the king. These seeds would change my life forever. These seeds are called cocoa beans, the source of all chocolate and cocoa products I love to devour today. From these seeds come chocolate, and my little drink of ambrosia and a slice of euphoria.

I always loved chocolate. It has been one of the top foods I would always eat in a parallel universe wherein eating the food would never do me harm even if I ate TONS of it. This summer though, my craving for it heightened to about 120% (no seriously just 20%). When my breakfast chocolate cereal wasn't found this morning, I got bummed out. Then I realized, I ate the whole of it the night before. Spanish explorer, Hernando Cortez, said chocolatl (chocolate drink) was "the divine drink ... which builds up resistance and fights fatigue". I have to agree with Cortez and say the same for chocolate in every form possible.

Actually I learned that a new study suggests that consumption of certain chocolate can modulate synthesis of certain hormone-like compounds, or eicosanoids, which may help to maintain cardiovascular health by reducing blood vessel vulnerability and platelet clumping (from cocoapro.com). That's very interesting.....and (whatever it means) it sounds very good. Also, there are ingredients in certain chocolate products that can retard tooth decay. And we all know the famous "chocolate can help you feel loved" because it releases certain chemicals to your body (at least, that's what I think....). Well now, I'm taken!

Chocolate, for all its worth, is not only the product of some seeds, but a whole lot more. For all the people it comforted and fed & all the mouths that consumed it, it deserves praise. Theobroma cacao, the scientific name of the cacao plant, is "food for the gods" when translated in Greek (yeah!I'm a god!!!). That just goes to show that chocolate is divine and a piece of heaven.