A dark chocolate bar 'Da-Capo'

In music, the Italian term "da-capo" means "again, from the begining." It is often found in the aria within an opera. Fazer, a Finnish chocolate company, has been manufacturing a little , yellow wrapped, dark chocolate bar 'Da-Capo', since 1916.

Da-Capo has been my favourite since childhood. It was my treat of choice, even during the era when mix and match assorted candy became popular. If I couldn't have that chocolate, I prefered to be without candy and wait until Christmas or my birthday, when I was sure to be given some.

Could Da-Capo's commercial success be due to its alcohol content? The ingredient label reads that it contains both rum and maraschino. By law, a product containing alcohol percentage one can only conclude that any alcohol from the rum or maraschino is cooked off during production, leaving just the aromas, in the same way as vanilla or salt. Where all the 90 calories of such a small 20 grs piece of chocolate actually comes from, is puzzling. That said the pleasure of eating it is even bigger than the colorie count.

This wonderful chocolate made headlines today, for its intoxicating effect. You can't drive a car when you're drunk, can you? You should't go to work while under the influence either, right? It makes me wonder then: has Fazer's Da-Capo chocolate bar made me a closet drinker? Actual alcoholic drinks are of little appeal to me, but I can't live without Da-Capo! I confess to you that I have been driving with Da-Capo in my mouth. Should I be punished? Should my license be taken away and torn into pieces? I don't think so. After all, it's not the license that does the driving, it just grants the driver permission to do so.

I keep chocolates locked up in a large cabinet that can only be opened by turned key. On the lower shelf of the cabinet are liquor bottles that haven't been touched for years, some even for over a decade. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were spoiled. But chocolate on the other hand, especially Da-capo, spends only a brief moment on the upper shelf. Sometimes they don't even make it into the cabinet.

Architect and designer, Yrjö Wiherheimo, designed a small 'Da-capo' -chair in 2008. It's not my style. I wouldn't want to sit in it while eating Fazer's Da-Capo. I prefer to enjoy chocolate Da-Capo with an aria from some opera playing in the background. What a great name, "again, from the beginning".

nami-hiiri