The etiquette of gifting chocolate. Why chocolates make for great gifts. Chocolate gift ideas. Learn all this and more to be able to gift chocolates online and in person. If your intent is to select gifts for chocolate lovers know that you cover pretty much everyone – surveys say 9 out of 10 people love chocolates!  

‘I don’t like chocolate but…I do like it with mint!’ declared a former editor of a food & lifestyle magazine. She was being interviewed as part of our informal research on immediate reactions that people had to ‘chocolate’. Check this: Less than 1% of those interviewed said that they did not like chocolate. (And two of them were allergic to chocolate.)

Universal love in action
The love and adulation that chocolates, the ‘food of the gods’ made from the humble cacao bean (which ironically, is deeply bitter) enjoys, makes it a fail-safe gift. However, like the editor who enjoys her mint chocolates, people around the world have their favourites.

And here too, the cacao bean does not disappoint – it is one of the world’s most versatile foods. From nuts and berries to puffed rice, salted caramel, chilies, curry and herbs, chocolate combines with most anything. (The editor mentioned above uses chocolate chips in her salads – and says guests love it.)

When gifting, keep in mind the type of chocolate that will find favour, and you will make the best gift in the world!

 

Brings back good childhood memories
As a special treat, a reward, a birthday celebration – chocolates defined happiness in most of our growing up years. As an adult, a chocolate gift therefore is much more than just a gift, it is a gift of a happy memory, a reminder of unconditional love and warmth. No diamond compares. (Okay, maybe the diamond does score a few more points, but then you could sweeten it further with a special chocolate pack to go along with it.)

Triggers instant good-feel
In Victorian times, chocolate was the ‘cure all’ medicine for doctors who carried it in their little black bags when making house calls. Now we know chocolate triggers an upsurge of feel-good hormones – serotonin and dopamine – in our brains. Also, dark chocolate has been known to be a ‘sweet hero’ for decades now. Loaded with antioxidants that fight off disease-causing free radicals in the body, the delectable food is also said to be great for heart health. At SMOOR, we have a range of dark chocolates and something more: an entire range of herbal chocolate with real, healing herbs.

 

You know all the occasions that make the top of the list: birthdays, anniversaries, promotions Valentine’s Day (though the jury is still out on the aphrodisiacal qualities of chocolate, there is no doubt that chocolate sweetens the romance) and more.

At SMOOR we believe there is much more to chocolate. After all, 50% of the population cannot live without chocolate every day! (We didn’t make it up – this is documented research!) So here are some ideas we list to get you thinking how chocolate can add more meaning and joy to your life.

• A just-like-that (JLT) gift. Why wait for an occasion to tell someone that he or she adds meaning to your life?
• Gift your maid. Chocolates are not meant only for ‘my kind of people’. It’s the universal symbol of love and positivity. Delight unexpected is the sweetest of all.
• For those don’t-know-what-to-gift situations. Can’t go wrong with chocolates. Just take care to ensure the choice of chocolates and packaging is right. (You don’t want to give a Valentine’s Day chocolate hamper to an office acquaintance.)
• Add-on gift. So, if you’re going for that baby shower, carry baby’s gifts but a box of chocolates for the mom-to-be, and double the delight.
• Say I’m sorry with chocolate. Make this a big gesture. Maybe luxury chocolate, a chocolate hamper, or the best, most extravagant chocolate cake. (We recommend SMOOR’S Gooey Chocolate Cake.)
• Reward yourself. You deserve it. And what better gift to pamper yourself with than your favourite SMOOR chocolate barks?
• Surprise your little one with a surprise order of chocolate on a random day
• Cheer up – there’s always chocolate. But if hoping to make someone feel better, be especially careful with this one. Needs to be handled sensitively.

 

1) It’s best to avoid customised chocolates – unless you know the giftee loves the particular brand and the chocolates. For instance, if you were to buy a Box of 5 SMOOR Luxury Couverture Chocolates, ensure you curate the flavours, tailored to your giftee’s preference.

2) Talking of which, brings us to the second point, look for the unusual and the best quality luxury chocolate. So, couverture chocolate with up to 39% cocoa butter is the way to go. Opt for curated chocolates from a boutique brand, or something really unusual such as SMOOR’s Cashew and Curry chocolates from the Elaine Young Collection.

3) Okay, one should not judge a book by its cover but when it comes to gifting, the packaging is all important. Look for attractive boxes, prints and wrapping paper. If wrapping at home, add a posy of fresh flowers and spray on your perfume to personalise the gift.

4) Always, always, write a note with your chocolate gift. The cardinal rule here is to think hard and write honestly. Convey the emotion and sentiment powering the gift. Grammar and language does not matter. Do not use the gift tag – write on paper and put it in an envelope (you can buy special paper for this).

5) Send the gift by courier, if you want to surprise the person or it’s to another city, but otherwise, always hand it over personally, making a point to say something personal and heart-felt. (‘Hey picked these especially for you. The coconut motif reminded me of our holiday in Kerala!’)

6) Never ever gift chocolates to an adult without gifting children or the elderly in the house first. 

7) If you’re not sure of preference, opt for a mixed bag.

8) Add a carefully chosen or curated box of luxury chocolates to the bigger gifts to underline the fact that it comes with a lot of heart. So the new car, the house, a diamond ring, surprise vacation tickets – when gifted with chocolate, is always sweeter.

Now that you are well equipped with chocolate know-how, go make it a sweeter world – gift chocolate!