Chocolate and happiness

A new study published in the scientific journal Appetite suggests that men crave chocolate more when they are happy. The research consisted of showing men bits from films to invoke specific emotions and it turns out that when they're feeling happy, men are more likely to crave chocolate.

You have to love Appetite's self-description:

Appetite is an international research journal specializing in behavioural nutrition and the cultural, sensory, and physiological influences on choices and intakes of foods and drinks. It covers normal and disordered eating and drinking, dietary attitudes and practices and all aspects of the bases of human and animal behaviour toward food.

I wonder whether they need more volunteers for their chocolate research. I think there is a market opportunity here if they set up a chocolate-dating service, akin to Yahoo Personals or Match.com. I'd be more than happy to offer my services to serious chocolate research.

The next few days will see an expansion of my own chocolate research. I'll be in Italy for the next two days, and the shops at Malpensa airport in Milan sell great chocolate. Last time I was there I bought a box of neapolitani of what they call "mono-origin" chocolates. It's the chocolatic equivalent of a single-malt scotch whiskey, or a varietal in wine. The box had chocolates from Ecuador, Grenada, Jamaica, Madagascar, Trinidad and Venezuela, and all chocolates have a minimum cocoa content of 70%. Very powerful flavors which even in small quantities last for a long time. The Amedei web site has more information on their offerings. More research in this area is definitely needed.