NEW YORK - Chocolate… even the thought of it is enough to warm you up on a cold, drizzly day in December. It was raining as I stopped by a tiny chocolate store in lower Manhattan this week to look for a present for my friends. I found much more than just candy. “Kee’s Chocolates” is a hideaway from worries and stress for many regular customers. The bewitching scent of chocolate—good chocolate!—greets you as you enter.

As I walked in and saw the smiling face of the owner Ms. Kee Ling Tong, I remembered a scene from the movie “Chocolat”: “I sell dreams, small comforts, sweet harmless temptations… Is that so bad?" asked Vianne, the owner of a small chocolate store.

Tong started her business in July 2002. Every day since then, she’s been melting and blending the ingredients on her little hotplate and boiler to make what many call “the best chocolate in town.”

Dark, milk and white varieties with about 25 different kinds of fillings are displayed on the counter on a good day. This Christmas her specialty is the champagne and strawberry blend.

“The business is going well. People love chocolate, especially during holidays,” said Tong.

Chocolate has had a very long history of success, since the Cacao tree was discovered and worshipped by the ancient Mayan tribes in South America over 1,500 years ago. Much later chocolate traveled to Europe and then to the United States, where over half of the world’s total production of chocolate is being consumed—and enjoyed.

So what are Kee’s chocolates made from?

“I use heavy cream, cocoa, cocoa butter, milk, sugar in different proportions according to my own recipes,” said Tong. When she started her hand-made chocolates, Tong modified some of the recipes from the French Culinary Institute, which she had previously attended, but now she is creating new specialties for every season. Among the winter choices are almond, sesame, orange, pumpkin fillings, and many more.

“I always try the chocolates when I make the fillings. I don’t love chocolate, but I like it. They say, it’s healthy too, as it contains anti-oxidants,” said Tong.

Indeed, chocolate is now recognized as beneficial to the health, containing essential trace elements and nutrients, such as iron, calcium, potassium and vitamins, and it is the highest natural source of magnesium. However, that is only true of the good chocolate, which is high in cocoa solids (60 to 70 percent or more) and not in sugar. So look for the real thing when you shop for your nears and dears or when you treat yourself to a holiday box of sweets.

Hot chocolate, chocolate ice-cream, dark, milk, white—what’s your preference?