What would Valentine’s Day be without Chocolate? The two are practically synonymous, and it is thanks in part to Richard Cadbury, whose British family manufactured products using cacao beans.

Valentine’s Day had become all the rage during the Victorian era with lover’s showing their affections with Cupid-bedecked gifts and cards the smithsonianmag website stated, so when Cadbury came up with the idea of transforming his drinking chocolate into an “eating chocolate” and packaging them in heart-shaped boxes in 1861, Feb. 14 has never been the same.

Felicia McKnight, who is the manager and mad baker of The Mad Baker in downtown Vicksburg concurs — Valentine’s Day and chocolate go hand in hand.

“For me chocolate is romantic. That’s how I think — anybody can give me chocolate and I think it is romantic,” McKnight said.

And for those wanting to shower a loved one with the sweet taste of chocolate on Valentine’s Day, McKnight will be whipping up jumbo sweetheart cupcakes.

“Instead of a regular size cupcake, a lot of guys like to come in here and get a big sweetheart cupcake,” McKnight said.

She will also be making strawberry passion Valentine’s Day cakes with chocolate ganache for the special day, she said, in addition to chocolate fudge cupcakes, death by chocolate cookies, chocolate dipped strawberries and chocolate cream cheese balls.

And do not forget the kiddies on Valentine’s Day, McKnight said, they love her doozie cookies.

“It’s two cookies with icing of your flavor on the inside,” she said.

Main Street Market has been offering a special four-course meal in celebration of Valentine’s Day for several years now and dessert options always include something chocolate, co-owner of the restaurant Sally Bullard said.

“I do a Red Velvet cake, which is a devils food cake with red food coloring, and then I do a devils food chocolate cake with a chocolate buttercream. I have also done chocolate cheesecakes and cream puffs with chocolate filling,” Bullard said.

Because Bullard and her husband, Chris Fink, run a “mom and pop” operation, Bullard said, and they are the only ones who prepare and cook the meal for patrons, a romantic evening for them has to come after the crowd has gone home.

Bullard said they will crack open a bottle of champagne, serve up a plate and enjoy their meal and dessert, all while they clean up.

The passion for chocolate dates back to Mesoamerican history smithsonianmag states, when chocolate was deemed a highly-prized luxury item among Mayan and Aztec upper class elites.

Chocolateclass.wordpress also states that chocolate has long been thought to provide some sort of aphrodisiac quality.

In fact, Madame du Barry, who was Louis XV chief mistress, used a chocolate mix with amber to stimulate her lovers.

There are many ways to show affection and giving chocolate is perfect for Valentine’s Day.