Geeky Cat Miusings

The discussion about chocolate at the ROM yesterday was very engaging and interesting, thanks to the excellent speakers. I learned that the melting point of chocolate is 36°C which is just below human body temperature and therefore it melts in the mouth. If you let it melt slowly in your mouth you can notice the cool feeling on your tongue - since chocolate that is melting is using heat from your body to melt. I have always thought that chocolate has miraculous properties and apparently other people agree with me since they have named the chocolate plant Theobramba cacao, which means “Food of the Gods.”

If you are trying to kick a chocolate addiction, this may help: I have heard reports that the average chocolate bar has 8 insect legs in it. If you are happy about your chocolate consumption, as I am, you can just discard that fact and remember that the phenyethylene and anandamide contained in chocolate have anti-depressant properties. High levels of phenylethylamine, a neurotrasmitter, help create feelings of attraction, excitement, and giddiness. Eating chocolate also stimulates the release of endorphins, hormones that generate a feeling of pleasure and well-being. Chocolate also contains tryptophan, a chemical that the brain uses to make serotonin. High levels of serotonin produces feeling of elation. From what I understand, the levels of tryptophan in chocolate are a lot lower than other foods.

So if you see me looking happy, like a cat who just caught a mouse, you may know what my secret is.