Despite being a useful and delicious treat, chocolate is rich in its usage elsewhere in modern society. Since the very first cocoa beans were discovered, chocolate became a hit amongst those who quickly came to consider themselves as ‘chocoholics’, but this appreciation for chocolate has now spread into fields far wider than just desserts and treats – human creativity has been unleashed yet again!

Chocolate Spas – yes, completely real and 100% serious. Hershey, America’s largest chocolate organisation has created an exotic and sublime spa at the Hotel Hershey where you can while away your woes and thoroughly enjoy the sweet stuff, without taking in the calories! The spa is located in Pennsylvania and in addition to its beautiful views, the spa provides extraordinary and indulgent spa treatments such as the Whipped Cocoa Bath, Cocoa Butter Scrub and a chocolate fondue wrap.

Another slightly unusual use for chocolate is as part of Suedy’s Koo-Ki sushi. This cookie-based sushi comes with chocolate and toppings all specifically created by Karen Sasaki. Every single piece of Suedy’s Koo-Ki Sushi is made by hand using good quality ingredients like chocolate, crispy rice cookies and sweets – instead of the usual seaweed and raw fish!

Remarkably, it has now been proven that fuel can actually be created from chocolate. Microbiologist Lynne Mackaskie at the University of Birmingham has found a way to produce hydrogen from waste products left over in chocolate factories. The left over bacteria from diluted caramel, nougat and other creations can be fermented causing the release of organic acids and resulting in enough hydrogen to power a small fan!

The appreciation people have for chocolate is all the more obvious with this next example. Over the past few years, Fortress Aquamarine at the Fortress in Galle, Sri Lanka has topped the world’s most expensive dessert list with a treat costing $14,500. However, this has recently been succeeded by Frozen Haute Chocolate, an extremely elegant dessert served only in the Serendipity-3 Restaurant in New York. A mixture of 28 of the very finest cocoas, five grams of 24-carat gold, whipped cream and topped with yes, more gold, this incredible sundae costs a whopping $25,000 and must be ordered two weeks in advance. This wonderful, though ridiculously pricey treat, is not topped with the traditional cherry and instead is finished with a $2,600 La Madeline au Truffle from Knipschildt Chocolatier.

Other bizarre but wonderful creations include the popular chocolate calculators, the chocolate car and a chocolate Jesus exhibit. It appears that the world’s appetite for this rich, delicious treat has gotten slightly out of control!