Chocolate in Dementiaville

Romeo loves chocolate. Dark chocolate. Not inexpensive dark chocolate, but high quality dark chocolate. He likes every flavor he's ever tried, except mint. He particularly enjoys everything from raspberry flavored dark chocolate to crystallized ginger in dark chocolate, and he's also happy to eat it without any flavor whatsoever. Plain dark chocolate may be his favorite.

Chocolate has a long history in the realms of love, power, and devotion. You've probably heard that chocolate is a well-known aphrodisiac. Yep, that's why we give chocolate on Valentine's Day. But did you know Montezuma II, that sly devil of an Aztec ruler, would drink an extra cup of chocolate before he dashed off to consort with any one of his favorite ladies? Sounds as good an excuse as any.

Those Aztecs knew their way around chocolate. Because it was rare, rich, and thus expensive, it represented luxury. Only high-ranking figures were able to afford it, and so it became a status symbol for the wealthy and powerful.

Finally, as a symbol of devotion, the Aztecs would place cacao seeds on altars for their deities. They also drank it often as part of special religious events.

Eating and drinking chocolate can certainly be a religious experience, but Romeo does not see chocolate as a devotional, power, or love token. He simply loves dark chocolate. It doesn't appear that the taste buds are affected by dementia.