Who needs love, when you’ve got friends, and 15.2 people’s worth of chocolate? And we can at least help with the last one, with a yummy recipe!

In Japan, girls on Valentine’s Day get the raw end of the deal with the expectation that they give chocolates that they’ve bought or made to male friends, family members or work colleagues, as well as to anyone they’re actually sweet on. Admittedly, they’re supposed to receive chocolates in return a month later on White Day but it still leaves them shelling out so as not to show favour to anyone. Unfair as it might be, one particular writer thought that with the idea of girls having to give sweet, delicious chocolate without regard to feelings or affection, his time had come. But a survey reveals that the recipients of most girls’ chocolates, are in fact other girls.

▼ Some girls, and women, go all out and actually make assorted sugary goodies

In a survey conducted by GMO Media, 773 junior high and high school girls in their teens were asked about what they did for Valentine’s Day, who they gave chocolates to and how much they spent. Where elsewhere in the world, you might be expected to give chocolates, a card or flowers to someone you like of a gender of your choosing, Japanese school girls give chocolate to an average 15.2 people each. Either they’re exceptionally big-hearted (or greedy) or else it’s already clear that Valentine’s Day isn’t the festival of romance it’s supposed to be elsewhere.

The chocolates aren’t cheap either, with the average amount of money spent on buying or making the chocolates varying by recipient, from 506 yen (US$4.62) for giri “duty” chocolate to give to male friends or family members, to 645 yen for friends and 980 yen on the one (or more) true targets of their affection.

▼ Chocolates full of fruit, nuts and, in some cases, a spoonful of pubic hair.

You’d think that with all the time, effort and money required that the respondents wouldn’t be overly enamoured with the holiday, but it turns out that more than 80 percent of those who answered the survey enjoy Valentine’s Day. Thanks, perhaps, to the most surprising thing revealed by the survey. Of all those chocolates given by female Japanese teenagers, more than 90 percent end up in the hands, and stomachs, of other girls. So, if the results are anything to go by, it seems Valentine’s Day for junior high and high school girls in Japan is just one giant chocolate swap-meet with their female friends, so much so that the survey also revealed a new word doing the rounds: Galentine, a mix of girl, “gal”, and Valentine.

Schoolgirl or not, if you’d like to make some fresh chocolate to give to someone you’re fond of, certain SoraNews24 staff (cough cough) or even yourself (you deserve it), here’s a recipe for making it in bulk.

If you’re looking to cut calories, you might want to try making these tofu chocolates for Valentine’s Day instead. Or if you’re feeling flush, you could just buy some chocolate so fancy, even the bowl and lid are made of booze-filled choccy.

Source: PRTimes via Hachimakiko
Images: Pakutaso (1, 2, 3)