Matters Of The Heart Valentine's Day: Candy And Flowers Say It Best

2-13-97

University Park, PA.-- Tomorrow (Feb. 14) is Valentine's Day, so you're probably either hoping for some flowers and candy, or rushing out to buy some for someone else. But did you ever stop to think why we give chocolate and roses on this romantic holiday?

"We usually give rare, unusual, luxury items to people when we want to communicate our admiration," Gregory Ziegler, associate professor of food science at Penn State, said. "When someone gives chocolate for Valentine's Day - especially expensive chocolate - much like a diamond or a dozen roses, what that person is saying is that 'I have an excess of resources and I can afford to spend them on these unnecessary, luxury items.'"

In addition, there's a widely circulated belief that chocolate can potentiate amorous feelings, said Ziegler.

"That idea goes back at least as far as the Aztecs in Mesoamerica. It's been said that the emperor Motecuhzoma II would drink chocolate before entering his harem, so it has a long history as an aphrodisiac," he said.

Unfortunately, there appears to be no truth to the rumors.

"I think the properties it has in that regard are psychological, rather than physiological, although they are finding hundreds of compounds in chocolate, and certainly some of them are physiologically active. But as of yet they have not been able to ascribe either aphrodisiac properties or even addictive properties to any one of those chemicals, other than a small amount of caffeine," he said.

Ziegler, whose research includes both the history of chocolate and its physical properties, said we crave chocolate because humans have a penchant for sweets, and, frankly, because it tastes so good. Even if you're counting calories, one or two pieces of the treat won't do much harm.

"A Hershey's Kiss has only 25 calories," he said.

As much as we love chocolate, manufacturers have predicted a 10 percent drop in candy sales this Valentine's Day, however. This year, the holiday falls on the first Friday of Lent, the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter observed by the Roman Catholic, Eastern and some Protestant churches as a period of penitence and fasting.

"Anyone observing Lent will have to switch to roses," Ziegler said.

And what about those roses? A dozen long stem red American Beauties sends an unmistakably romantic message. And the average consumer will plunk down between $50 and $60 to have them delivered on Valentine's Day. But flowers that start to droop and die soon after they're given can put a damper on things.

Kathleen Brown, associate professor of postharvest physiology who has studied ways to genetically alter roses to make them less susceptible to disease , has some tips to help your roses last as long as possible.

Take that preservative packet that came with your flowers and mix it in tepid water according to the directions. Before putting your flowers into the solution, recut the stems about an inch from the bottom with a sharp knife, and remove all leaves that would be under water.

"If you leave them on, they'll decay in the water and cause bacteria to grow," said Brown, who is an expert on roses and storage of cut flowers. "That could make it harder for the flowers to absorb the solution, and they'll die sooner."

Some people recommend cutting the flower stems under water. "If you're not going to put the flowers immediately into their vase, that's a good idea. But it's better to get your flowers into the solution as soon as possible," Brown said.

If you don't have a packet of preservative, don't use sugar in its place because plain sugar could cause bacteria to grow.

"Instead, use a half-and-half solution with tepid water and Sprite or another lemon-lime soda," Brown said. "Don't use diet soda because you need the combination of the acids and the sugar in the soda. Mix the soda with an equal amount of water, and then let it sit to get some of the carbonation out."

Although the television may be the best place to put your flowers from a decorator's point of view, the heat given off by the TV could spell an early demise for your flowers. "Keep flowers in a cool place to make them last longer," Brown said. "If their heads seem floppy, put the flowers in a warm solution and then put them in a cold place for a few hours to help them absorb the solution. You could even put them on the porch for an hour or two if it's not too cold out."

If you follow these tips, your flowers should last seven to 10 days - maybe even longer, depending on the quality.

If you're the one buying the roses, pick flowers that look fresh, with the petals separated a bit at the tips. In addition, you may want to buy domestic roses instead of imported varieties.

"Domestic roses last longer than imported as a rule," Brown said. "They don't have to travel as far and can be picked much closer to delivery time, so they're fresher. Imported roses are less expensive because they're grown in warmer climates and can be produced more cheaply. However, they have to travel a long way to get here and their quality is not usually as high as that of roses grown domestically."

Keeping all of this in mind, choose your gifts carefully. And remember, while neither chocolate nor roses has a proven effect on amorous feelings, neither one hurts the cause.

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For more information about chocolate, visit the Cocoa Chocolate and Confectionery Research Group Web site at http://www.cde.psu.edu/cccrg/. If that doesn't satisfy your appetite, visit the International Symposium on Confectionery Science Web site at http://www.cde.psu.edu/C&I/CocoaResearch/

How America loves chocolate ...
- On average, each American ate 11.5 pounds of chocolate in 1995. That's over 3 billion pounds total.

- The retail chocolate industry in the U.S. is worth $13 billion per year.

- Americans spend $665 million each Valentine's Day on candy, making it the fourth biggest holiday of the year for confectionery purchases after Halloween, Christmas and Easter.

- Chocolate manufacturers use 40 percent of the world's almonds, 20 percent of the world's peanuts and eight percent of the world 's sugar. Members of the Chocolate Manufacturers Association use about 3.5 million pounds of whole milk each day to make milk chocolate.

Source: Chocolate Fads, Folklore and Fantasies, Linda K. Fuller, Ph.D., 1994.

What it all means
Different colored roses mean different things to different people. A sampling of Web sites has turned up these fairly common rose colors and their meanings:
- Red: true love or passion
- White: innocence, purity
- Yellow: friendship; can also mean jealousy
- Light pink: grace, gladness, joy or simplicity in love
- Dark pink: thankfulness

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Contact: Annemarie Mountz (814) 865-7517 office or email at axm219@psu.edu