Chocolate is literally "the food of the gods" and sets the stage for romance. If you want to incorporate chocolate into your dating repertoire, here are some buying tips you might want to consider.

1. Cater to their tastes. When selecting chocolates for your date, choose flavors that show you've been paying attention. If your date does not like exotic foods such as sashimi, they're also probably not going to like wasabi-ginger chocolate. If your date likes comfort food, then something with buttery caramel is a good choice. If your date loves to try the latest in food trends, then wild flavor combinations like raspberry/pink-peppercorn may be just the thing. If your date has a real sense of humor, a chocolate pop rocks ganache is sure to provide a rousing start to the evening.

2. Reflect your own personality. If you're not sure of your date's food likes and dislikes, then get what you like and be prepared to tell a little story about why it's your favorite. If you love white chocolate, you have a little bit of the rebel in you. If you're a milk chocolate fan, you like tradition, so stay with familiar combinations. If dark chocolate is your thing, then you like to be mysterious and keep people guessing.

3. Freshness first. No matter what you buy, one of the keys to getting great chocolate is freshness. Don't walk into a store and buy something that's been sitting on the shelf for who knows how long. The box may say "I am pretty and expensive," but you don't eat the box. Always ask what's freshest and best.

4. Quality not quantity. Focus on quality and presentation, not quantity. Two pieces of extraordinary chocolate exquisitely packaged makes a powerful statement. If that doesn't work for you, then look for exotic "named origin" (all the beans used to make the bar come from a specific place or country) solid dark chocolate bars with high cocoa percentages.

The most romantic piece of chocolate you can buy? Why, the passionfruit chocolate heart, of course.

Discover more about chocolate at discoverchocolate.com.