Alysa Liu Ate This Rich Chocolate Dessert Before Winning Olympic Gold

Alysa Liu burned out and quit figure skating at the age of 16. When she returned to the sport, she did so on her own terms. The second act, starting at age 18, was all about one thing: joy. That joy was on display on the ice when she won gold. Standing out from the skaters who let their nerves into their muscles, she skated with a loose flow that reminded the viewers that we were watching dancers on ice. That joy extended to her diet as well. While most Olympic athletes keep a close eye on their macros and eat clean, Liu enjoyed herself with pasta, vegetables, and the famed Olympic chocolate lava cake.

At one point Liu either admitted or joked that she was planning on eating the cake for breakfast. Skating journalist Jackie Wong posted on X about a conversation where someone asked about food in the Village. Liu told them her diet, to which the reporter sarcastically replied, "oh that's healthy." Wong told the person "you don't do that." Wong is right. You don't police anyone's eating, and you especially don't police someone whose whole ethos is joy. With or without the gold medal around her neck, Liu deserves to enjoy every bite in one of the world's great countries to eat in.

"Tortino al cioccolato," as the Italians call it, was a hit in the Olympic village this year. Olympic athletes sought out this treat and shared their opinions of it on TikTok. After a hunt to find it, Canadian hockey player Natalie Spooner gave the dessert a "9.1 out of 10." She called it "gooey" and "chocolatey." In another TikTok, Canadian speed skater Courtney Sarault declared it to be better than the viral French chocolate muffin sensation from the 2024 Olympics.

The cake looks delicious. It comes out warm, and, after a dig in with a spoon, molten chocolate comes pouring out. Someone in the kitchen clearly knows the secrets to making a masterful chocolate lava cake. Alysa Liu certainly has her choice in treats now that she's won gold. The Oakland native has been offered free ice cream for life from the spot that inspired the ice cream shop from "Up," Fentons Creamery.