Original gifts for sweet tooth

Since the 16th century, when chocolate was no longer a secret of the Spanish colonialists, but a product known to all, the cocoa bean has played a central role in all the major cultures of the world. Chocolate is considered the queen of all confectionery and the sweet of choice for young and old alike the world over.

A popular gift

Its delicious and specific taste has made it a popular gift that people like to give to each other on various cultural holidays or social occasions.

In Japan, for example, women have the custom of gifting men with different types of chocolate for Valentine''s Day, with each type of chocolate representing a different kind of love or affection that the givers feel for their recipients.

In Mexico, however, there is a custom of people gifting their friends and family with chocolate balls, bars and drinks on the Day of the Dead to honour the dead. In our country, it is almost obligatory to give chocolates at Christmas (with various chocolate images of St Nicholas and the parklands, December calendars containing small chocolates), Easter (with chocolate images of rabbits and chocolate eggs) and Valentine''s Day (most often with heart-shaped chocolates). We also like to treat our loved ones with chocolates when they are celebrating a birthday, a wedding or the birth of a child, in fact, on practically any occasion.

Non-traditional gifts

But to make sure your gifts don''t just stick to the boring traditional types and shapes of chocolate, you can surprise yourself with new and original ways to indulge in chocolate offered by modern chocolatiers and other specialist shops. As the famous English writer Charles Dickens is reputed to have said, there is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate. You can enchant your friends with chocolates that are made entirely to their liking: in addition to the three basic flavours (dark, white, milk chocolate), which can also be mixed together, and a variety of additives (from basic raisins and hazelnuts to chilli), you can also give them a personalised dedication to personalise your gift even further. And if your friends are bigger fans of chocolates and other little chocolate surprises, you can surprise them with a chocolaterie containing pralines to suit their taste.

You can also accompany your chocolates with an original chocolate greeting card, a soft teddy bear, artificial flowers or a gift voucher for a visit to one of the renowned chocolatiers, a course or a chocolate massage. Original gifts for gourmets are not only suitable for birthdays, Christmas and New Year gifts, but can also make good corporate gifts. If your business partners are the slightest bit sweet tooth, they will surely love chocolate wine and perhaps chocolate-covered fruit or some other sophisticated sweet product from the wide range of chocolatiers. For the more mischievous, there are also gifts with an erotic touch, which are of course also suitable for stag or hen parties, and there are many delicious chocolate gifts suitable for weddings too. You could treat the bride with a chocolate shoe or maybe a piece of jewellery, and the groom with a chocolate salami or tie. You can surprise a pregnant woman with special chocolates for pregnant women, and at the birth of a baby with a variety of chocolate lollipops and chocolate letters that can be used to make the name of a new member of the family.

If you''re confused by the variety of chocolate treats available in online chocolate shops and can''t decide which sweet surprise to choose, there are even handy questionnaires to help you decide. Whatever the occasion, there''s sure to be the right chocolate gift to delight the recipient. Otherwise, any chocolate gift is the right choice, and with just a little imagination, it''s virtually impossible to go wrong. Chocolate can be a healthy, tasty and original gift that will make many people happy.

But those who won''t - they must be lying because, as the famous Canadian ice skater Robert Paul said, "nine out of ten people love chocolate. Ten always lie."