>Let's nail this once and for all. Very few people like chocolate unless it is mixed with massive 
>quantities of modern, processed foods. Chocolate (that is, cocoa) on its own has very little appeal
>  
>
I'll have to disagree. I think this more projection of American
and West European cultural preferences than nailing anything
once and for all. No disrespect or offense is intended. I just
know this to be untrue from my own perspective and within
my own cultural experience.

In the natural diet of many parts of this world, pure cocoa powder
 has a great deal of appeal and a multitude of uses without being
 mixed with sugar or milk or other processed foods.

Isn't it possible that the distaste for pure cocoa is caused by the
developments of  modern tastes, particularly in the U.S. It doesn't
mean it applies to most people.

I love the taste of pure cocoa as does my entire family and extended
tribe and friends. We use it all of the time and enjoy it very much. I
make an unsweetened drink of it. In the traditional diet of my own
culture, it is used in this form for sauces, a hot drink mixed with
chili peppers, a treat made with sesame paste and no sugar at all
...sometimes dates but not always. I also put it in chili and soups.
It gives food a richness, flavor, and texture unique to unsweetened
cocoa. We will also eat the cocoa beans. The kids love them plain
and do not demand sugar!

In my travels around this world I find many cultures (most of them)
outside of the Westernized world to have a similar taste and great
affection for cocoa, coffee, and other strong flavors that American
and Western European people do not seem to like.

I think the food made by these people is a lot closer to Paleo and
more indicative of natural inclinations than the average American
taste bud which is used to chemical additives and excess of
chemical sweetening. I have also noticed that as many people in
the U.S. and Europe are turning back to their natural tastes and
exploring more natural foods, there is more and more demand for
very dark chocolate with little or no sugar and with no milk. This
kind of product is showing up more and more frequently in shops
that cater to natural and organic foods.


>So, I can't agree that chocolate qua chocolate (the product of the seeds of the cacao tree) either 
>tastes particularly good or is addictive. It must be processed, diluted and mixed with other 
>products of industrial agriculture before it is generally appealing.
>  
>

This seems more like a matter of opinion and personal preference
being presented as an absolute that applies to everyone. I'm sorry
but it's a little bit ironic to me, being someone from what is usually
considered a more "primitive" or "backwards" cultural background
when Western modern tastes are assume to be the measure for
the natural tastes and inclination of *most* people. ;)

     Aria