Chocolate

Chocolate is a food item which provides a small amount of nutrition, filling a colonist's hunger meter by 10% per unit consumed. Unlike most other foods, it also grants a bonus to Recreation of 10% per unit. Contrary to the description, the chocolate requires no further processing and is directly harvested from the cocoa tree.

Acquisition

Chocolate can be acquired by planting cocoa trees after Cocoa is researched. The trees have a base Harvest Yield of 20 chocolate per harvest every 16 days, modified by the Plant Harvest Yield of the grower. Harvesting consumes the trees and they must be resown every harvest. Unlike in reality, no further processing is needed to create chocolate.

Chocolate can also be purchased from bulk goods traders, or occasionally arrive in cargo pods.

Analysis

Chocolate does not spoil, it only deteriorates with exposure to the elements, and provides roughly 10% recreation of the Gluttonous type per consumption, so its also a good emergency option to break out when times are tough and mood is at risk due to lack of recreation time, however its low nutritional value makes it a poor choice for actual sustenance. It is especially good for caravans as they can't get recreation while moving otherwise, and only slowly get Social type recreation when stopped.

As an actual food item, chocolate is superior to insect jelly. The latter gives only 8% Gluttonous recreation and 0.05 nutrition, and carries a 2% risk of food poisoning,. However, insect jelly is 1/3 the weight of chocolate, and sells for more, giving it advantages in a caravan, where recreation is otherwise lacking. In addition, jelly can be acquired in large amounts from infestations, while chocolate must be researched and farmed. Infestations are also a large threat, which you may not want or be able to fight. Which is preferable will depend on the circumstances of each individual colony, as well as player preference.

Colonists will eat no more than 4 units of chocolate at a time. Manually directing troubled colonists to eat it when necessary is advised.