Whitman’s Chocolate coined the phrase “a woman never forgets the man who remembers,” which Feldman interpreted as an implicit reinforcement of societal gender roles. The heart-shaped boxes could be covered in silk, satin lace and ribbons - extravagant presentations that made the chocolate inside almost incidental.Īmerican chocolate manufacturers were all-in by the 1930s on Valentine’s Day merchandise and advertising that targeted women as the recipients of their sweet designs. “This gave men the opportunity to demonstrate their taste,” Feldman said, “by choosing the right box for the particular woman.” Chocolate companies began producing boxes in an ever-increasing variety of styles to attract customers. The idea of the heart-shaped box took off and “the marketing machine took over,” as Feldman noted. The “fancy box,” as he called it, could be used to store keepsakes such as love notes, giving the packaging a selling point beyond its original use.Ĭouples everywhere: Here's why you (or they) can't ever find anything. The era’s descriptors of femininity - sweetness, triviality, softness and indulgence - all became associated with chocolate.Ĭupids, angels and roses were all part of the romantic vernacular by the 1800s, but it took one mere mortal to unite chocolate and Valentine’s Day.īritish chocolate maker Richard Cadbury had a lightbulb moment in 1861: He started packaging his company’s chocolate confections in heart-shaped boxes. And once women could enjoy chocolate, the connotations of the product switched from masculine to feminine, according to Feldman. “Sugar - and, by extension, chocolate - was a luxury, an expensive treat for the lucky few who could afford it,” said Megan Giller, founder of Chocolate Noise and author of “Bean-to-Bar Chocolate: America’s Craft Chocolate Revolution.”īy the 19th century, sugar had become a commodity, turning sweetened cacao into an accessible treat for the working class, including women. ![]() ![]() Until the Industrial Revolution, chocolate was also exclusively associated with the rich, since they were the only ones who had the means to enjoy it. How Covid vaccines might change the dating game Having access to chocolate was a way for the ruling class to assert their dominance, and as such was “associated with masculinity and virility,” according to Charles Feldman, professor of food studies and food systems at Montclair State University in New Jersey. European explorers co-opted the beverage, bringing it back to the courts of Spain, France and England by the 1600s. Xocolatl, or “bitter water,” was a Mesoamerican drink made from ground cacao beans, chiles and spices. ![]() There was nothing romantic about chocolate in its earliest incarnations. ![]() (Think those ubiquitous holiday jewelry commercials are patronizing and annoying? Wait until you read this!) And, surprise, surprise - it all has to do with marketing. The connection between chocolate and Valentine’s Day, on the other hand, is a fairly recent one by historical standards, reaching back fewer than 200 years. Poet Geoffrey Chaucer, best known for “The Canterbury Tales,” is credited with writing the first Valentine’s poem in 1385. In Western culture, romantic letters have been part of Valentine’s Day since the Middle Ages.
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