Chocolate lovers are always on a quest to find something to excite their palates, all wrapped in chocolate. Chocolate is something that is adored by the old and young alike. They are great in food, have been used in cosmetic products too! This is such a popular food product that there are several chocolate hampers– hampers containing ONLY chocolates and nothing else, that have been in demand for a very long time now. So, here are some interesting varieties of flavoured chocolate that you must try if you have not already done.

• Chocolates with bananas – Bananas are popular fruits. Most people enjoy eating bananas as a healthy snack or as part of a strict routine. Bananas have a fresh, sweet flavour that complements chocolate very well and this combination has been a huge hit in many places. You can easily get chocolate bars in this combination that you should not pass up, whether you are a food junkie or health conscious – it has something for both categories of people!

• Black Pearl – Forget about Johnny Depp and his beloved Black Pearl for some time. Black Pearl chocolates are fantastic bars of chocolates that will surely grip your attention just as much as Depp did, or may be even more! Dark chocolate is mixed with ginger, black sesame seeds and wasabi to create a very unique and dark chocolate beauty. A burst of different flavours will hit you the moment you bite into this chocolate bar, and it is an experience that adventurous chocolate lovers would not want to miss.

• Chocolate and lavender – Lavender is no longer confined to cloth dyes and cosmetics. This pretty variety of flower has travelled a long way from flower bouquets to delicious chocolaty concoctions! Truffles made of chocolate; lavender and hints of cardamom are hailed to be the next best thing in unique chocolates and are a must-have for chocolate connoisseurs looking for something truly beautiful but tasty.

• Wild, wild chocolate – This is a combination of chocolate that you don’t want to try with a faint heart! Goat cheese combined with Pear Williams, powdered black pepper, buttercream and lots and lots of dark chocolate lead to the creation of one of the fanciest version of chocolates that one could have ever imagined. Pair these dark delicacies with the best of your wines and after a sumptuous meal to give your taste buds a heady treat.

• Spirited treats – This version is sure to garner a lot of adulation and fan following! Who could have imagined that lemongrass, white chocolate Ganache, pink peppercorn and VODKA could create something so pretty and special that very few would be able to resist it? Try this exceptional combination of chocolate and the odd ingredients if you are in the mood to sample something bold and exciting in chocolate.

Chocolate lovers will never tire of experimenting with different types of chocolates and people all around the world will continue to cook up some more fabulous chocolate-laced recipes. Get ready to hear about some more exciting chocolate hampers in the near future!

Age proves to be of no hindrance to people with a weakness for delicious and fragrant chocolates. In fact, chocoholics are ready to consume this sweet food in any form, be it bars, chips, cookies, pastries, cakes, candies, sauce, or drinks. They carelessly discard the dire warnings that accompany frequent over consumption. However, there is some good news on the way. Eaten in limited quantities, the mysterious ‘dark’ chocolate is great for maintaining proper functioning of the human organs and organ systems.

• Avoid Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases: If you have been used to chewing on milk chocolate bars always, discard them for mysterious ‘dark’ chocolate chunks instead. Researchers will assure you that this slightly bitter foodstuff contains anti-oxidants and a healthy amount of flavonoids. As a result, your blood pressure remains stable, your arteries and vein retain their flexibility in spite of advancing age, and the risk for heart failure reduces. Do remember to restrict yourself to a small square each day or a couple of servings each week; do not go overboard with your eating. Additionally, do not skip your daily walks or exercise routines.

• Prevent Diabetes: If you are insulin-resistant, just consume a piece of this delicious stuff (size of a candy bar) every day. With the release of excess nitric oxide, your insulin sensitivity may be controlled to a large extent.

• Lose Excess Weight: You will find it easier to adhere to your recommended diet, since this dark knight saves you from succumbing to excessive cravings for fatty, sweet, and salty foodstuffs. Smaller portions, five small meals a day and regular physical activity should suffice to give you a marvellous physique.

• Bid Goodbye to Stress: Your brain will be encouraged to secrete larger amounts of the happy hormone known as ‘serotonin’, instead of the stress-causing hormone known as ‘cortisol’. Yes, you will find yourself feeling more alive and energetic, instead of fatigued and depressed. Pregnant women consuming dark chocolate find themselves giving birth to happier children.

• Enhance Your Intelligence: Whenever you pop a piece of your favourite brand into your mouth, your circulatory system becomes very active. It allows a larger amount of blood to flow to the key areas of your brain. Even if it is for a short time only, your alertness and performance will remain above average, especially where tests are concerned. Nevertheless, do not stuff yourself to the maximum just because you wish to do well in exams; you will invite ill-health.

• Cure Your Child’s Diarrhoea or Cough: Dark chocolate contains cocoa. The flavonoids in the cocoa join hands with a special protein present in the small intestine, to stop diarrhoea. This protein is responsible for fluid secretion; it regains its functional balance. Similarly, if your child is prone to excess coughing, the theobromine in the chocolate brings these unpleasant coughing bouts to a halt.

Admittedly, any recipient of a chocolate hamper will welcome it with squeals of delight. After all, you are offering a combination of good health and sweetness.