That's from a magnet on our fridge at home. And it's the only reason I want to actively save our planet. I think it's a good reason.

I love chocolate. No, wait. I adore chocolate. No, wait. I lust after chocolate. No, wait. I would happily give up certain family members for chocolate. No, wait. I would stop supporting Arsenal for a chocolate football team. No, wait. Chocolate is lovely!

As you might have guessed, I am a big fan of chocolate. Actually, I see chocolate as more of a relative. A blood relative. Or a best friend forever maybe. I don't quite see how life could go on if there was no chocolate. Or there was chocolate but it was banned or prohibited. Jeez! Just the thought and I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms as I sit here! Life without chocolate; I can't cope!

Okay, enough nightmare scenarios.

There are a whole lot of scientific studies proving that dark chocolate is good for you. I'm sure that when you look at the amount of sugar in some chocolate you would say that point is debatable. But of course there is no argument about the positive impact that cocoa has on your health, in various forms. Drinks, powdered, as a flavour, and of course as chocolate.

That's all well and good. I like chocolate because it tastes good; any health benefits are just a bonus. Let's talk about the different types of chocolate.

I generally prefer milk chocolate. It has always tasted nicer than dark chocolate and white chocolate. I must admit that as I grow older dark chocolate has increased in its appeal for me, but nothing can quite take the place of a creamy bar of milk chocolate. I used to think that Galaxy was the creamiest of milk chocolate, but now I think there are other brands that seem to put a whole cow in each bar. We'll come back to that.

I have never acquired much of a taste for white chocolate. No, I'm not showing my inner racism. White chocolate has never struck me as being 'the real thing'. There's a faintly oily taste that seems to be present in most white chocolate that I don't appreciate. Don't get me wrong about this. I will happily consume a bar of white chocolate if there is no alternative. White Toblerone and white Lindt come in for special mention here. But I'd rather have milk chocolate or dark chocolate.

Do you chew chocolate when you bite into it, or do you suck on it like a sweet? Both are quite wonderful (hey, it's chocolate!). I find that my first bite of a bar of chocolate is usually chewed and savoured. The rest of the bar depends on my mood. If I'm not in the best frame of mind I'll probably chew all the subsequent bites, and that will usually elevate my mood considerably. If I'm in a good mood and chilling I'll probably suck slowly on each piece, and let the luxuriant smooth creaminess cover my entire mouth until I feel like I'm drowning in brown heaven!!

I began to enjoy chocolate in the womb (or so I am reliably informed) and since then I have always preferred chocolate packaged in smaller pieces. Like the packs of Lindt miniatures or the Ferrero Rocher balls. Chocolate heaven in one bite! When I was younger smaller pieces like Smarties were my favourite. I still have a particular fondness for the Galaxy version of this, small round pieces of chocolate with a hard brittle shell covering softer chocolate on the inside. Counters I think they are called. Of course the problem with these smaller pieces is that it's very easy to keep saying, "Just one more...."!

So, like I was saying, Galaxy chocolate used to be the creamiest chocolate, for me. But as you may have noticed, I have mentioned Lindt a couple of times. They are currently the best in my humble sweet tooth opinion. All types and flavours of Lindt are excellent. Amongst the more mundane brands I still think Twix is the best chocolate in what I call the average size. Truly a blissful and worthy snack.

I must say here that I am also a fan of Golden Tree chocolate. There was a time that I thought the world existed, rotated, and revolved around, Pebbles! If you have not spent many a pleasurable hour sucking on a hard Pebble until all the chocolate is gone and you have a solitary naked peanut in your mouth, and a multi-coloured tongue, then you are not a Ghanaian. The best thing about Golden Tree chocolate is the fact that you can taste the cocoa in it. All the brands I have mentioned above are great, bit I will admit that they are all a little too sweet. Golden Tree is not. There is a natural taste in our home-made chocolate that is quite unique. And I love being able to buy it in traffic. Kingsbite anyone?

Recently there has been some local competition for Golden Tree. Niche has carved a space for itself on our shelves. I tried it and I liked it. And then I began to discover more flavours other than the milk chocolate and dark chocolate. I think I've tried most of them, and I was very impressed. I like variety, and I like having a choice. And I love the fact that it's made in Ghana. Strawberry, Coconut, Orange, Honey, Lime, Mango, Ginger, Banana, Coffee, Extra Dark, and are there any others? Is there another brand of chocolate worldwide that has as many flavours as Niche?? When are you going to give us one with a biscuit??

Do you like chocolate when it's on a biscuit? Oh yes! A decent biscuit covered in chocolate is amazingly like a woman with a great body covered....okay, okay, I have to remember this blog is in the public domain! But, yes, I do like chocolate-covered biscuits, as well as chocolate bars with a biscuit or wafer in them. Kit Kat anyone? With the right drink you've probably covered your nutritional needs for the day, innit?! But, please note, the quality of the biscuit is very important!

I must declare also that I have never been a big fan of chocolate with nuts, although I will NEVER decline an offer of such. Raisins? Hmmmm, that's another thing altogether. I would probably accept chocolate with raisins, but would probably lick all the chocolate of the raisin and spit it out. But I would eat all the nuts in a bar of chocolate!And as for the nougat and almonds in any bar of Toblerone....oh baby!

Chocolate desserts are fantastic when the right chef is creating them. From the ordinary brownie to some of the exotic displays at Labadi Beach Hotel, I have found that chocolate desserts are best eaten in small quantities. Large chocolate desserts don't quite work for me, strangely enough. And when mixed with the right 'partner' flavour a chocolate dessert can be quite spectacular. And chocolate ice-cream? Let's not go there; I'm already craving multiple boosts of chocolate as I write this. And I don't know how much longer I can go without actually eating chocolate ice cream....

So I guess you wouldn't be surprised to hear that one of my favourite shops in England is Thornton's. This is probably the best chocolate shop on the face of the earth. No, wait. The best chocolate shop in the universe. I hear there are a couple of places on Mars that come close, but....

In spite of my obsession with all things chocolate I must admit that I prefer brands I know. I have always been a bit coy about sampling brands I don't know. Unless someone can recommend them. 

I must point out that I will almost always finish a small bar of chocolate in one sitting (or standing actually). With a bigger bar I usually break of a couple of 'lines' at most and leave the rest till later. Now that is a serious exercise in restraint. And possibly a sign that there is something mentally wrong with me. "There's nothing wrong with me that a little chocolate won't fix." That's also a fridge magnet at home.

I love licking melted chocolate! And if it's smeared all over my (hopefully clean) fingers and hands even better! And by the by sharing chocolate with the right person is incredibly romantic. It doesn't have to be licked....but that helps.

A final word about the usefulness of chocolate: it really works as a gift! From a man or a woman, or to a man or a woman. I've yet to meet a woman who would offer herself to me for chocolate....but I live in hope. But there are plenty of women I would offer to someone for a hit of chocolate....but it better be milk chocolate! After all isn't chocolate supposed to be an aphrodisiac? Is that why it forms part of a soldier's rations????

(Copyright: RamiTalks 2018)