Honmei choko
Honmei choko ( Japanese 本命 チ ョ コ dt. "Favorite chocolate") is a special type of chocolate that is traditionally given in Japan by women as a gift to men on Valentine's Day . The counterpart to this is the Giri choko ( 義理 チ ョ コ , "mandatory chocolate ").
Origins
In Japan, Valentine's Day was adopted as a custom from the USA and has been practiced since the 1930s. Initially, in 1936, the Morozoff confectionery in Kobe placed an advertisement for PR purposes in order to appeal to foreigners living in Japan, which over the next few decades developed from a niche group to a broader mass of customers. In the 1960s, the confectionery manufacturer Morinaga first initiated a large-scale advertising campaign for Valentine's Day in Japan. Since the 1970s, the custom had finally arrived in many layers of society and was lived out on February 14th every year.
The need
On February 14th, Japanese girls and women are expected to give away chocolate or pralines (ideally homemade) to the men of their choice. The Honmei choko is often given away as a richly decorated and elaborately manufactured variant to husbands, partners or even secret swarms, whereas the Giri choko - which is of lower quality - goes to close friends, work colleagues or bosses. Honmei choko cannot always be clearly distinguished from Giri choko , but it often comes in lavishly decorated and striking packaging.
In return, it has now been up to the gifted men - since around 1980 - to return the favor to the woman by giving a gift in return on White Day , which takes place a month later on March 14th - this is often made of white chocolate and should traditionally be about equal to three times the value of the gift received. The Gyaku choko ( 逆 チ ョ コ , "counter- chocolate ") has also recently emerged, which is given to women by the gifted men on Valentine's Day as a gift in return.
Picture gallery
Ornate Honmei choko .
Here is an example from Giri choko .
