Intense and captivating, the scent of cocoa plunges us into the intimacy of our most sweet and sensual emotions. #sweetness

Native to South America (where the plant was called cacahuatl), cocoa trees are now present in many tropical areas of the planet. The price of cocoa beans has more than doubled in the last years, making this material one of the most expensive among all spices. #rarity

There are three major varieties of cocoa. The "Forastero", considered as the ancestor of the cocoa family, stands out for its robustness, its bitter taste and its very strong smell. On the other hand, the "Trinitarios" and the "Criocollo" are considered as noble varieties, because of their scarce availability and the power of the aromatic notes coming along with them: from nut to caramel, from blueberries to tobacco scents.

Highly appreciated by Mesoamerican civilizations, the taste and smell of cocoa impressed all European peoples from the moment of its discovery. Its power, its penetrating notes, managed to arouse great interest even among statesmen, such as Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), who describes this matter as follows:

"Happy chocolate, which after running the world, through the smile of women, finds death in the tasty and melting kiss of their mouths"

Cocoa beans clearly arouse intense and intimate sensations. They introduce us to a journey made of softness, sweetness, delicacy, but also of sensuality. Cocoa has indeed been considered as an aphrodisiac ingredient since ancient times, when its beans were used in many love rituals.

#cocoa #chocolate #sweetness #sensuality #intimacy