Who eats the chocolate? Worldwide, it's the Swiss and the Germans who claim top honors in chocolate consumption. In Switzerland, some statistics estimate as much 24 pounds per person per year.
But it's here on the American side of the pond that things really get interesting. Surprisingly, the U.S. barely cracks the top ten in chocolate consumption (Mr. B's wants to help improve that score!) and it could be due in part to how chocolate is marketed here.
Among Americans there’s a strong perception that chocolate appeals almost exclusively to women. Our European counterparts aren’t the least bit sexist about marketing their cacao confections — men and women are targeted equally —, but in the U.S. chocolate is viewed as largely feminine.
In spite of being virtually ignored by commercial messaging, men still report a preference for chocolate on par with women’s — roughly 90% of women and 87% of men.
This is especially good news for those who purchase chocolate as gifts, wedding favors, or for large events. Customers are regularly troubled trying to select options they believe will appeal to both men and women.
But they never had to be. Statistics simply don't support the idea that men dislike chocolate.
Admittedly, like anything else we eat, there are men (and women) who truly don’t prefer chocolate. But at Mr. B's that’s no problem either — we'll always have a batch of rich, buttery caramels on hand just for them.