World Chocolate Day – 7 July

World Chocolate Day also called International Chocolate Day occurs globally on the 7th of July, which means whatever kind of chocolate treat you choose to indulge in, you’d better eat up fast before it melts in the summer heat!

In the United States, International Chocolate Day is celebrated on the 13th of September, the National Confectioners Association’s National Chocolate Day on October 28, and the entire month of February, which is National Chocolate Lovers’ Month.

History

It is believed that the Olmec civilization (the first major Mesoamerica civilization in Mexico) was among the first to cultivate Cacao beans around 1750 BC. The Mayans called cocoa, a bitter drink the “food of the gods.” The word ‘chocolate’ has come from the Mayan word ‘Xocolatl’ ( sho-KWA-til ) which means ‘bitter water.’ The Mayans were forced to pay taxes to the Aztecs after the latter conquered. These taxes were called ‘tributes’, and were in the form of cocoa beans, as the Aztecs were unable to grow their own.

Cocoa was highly valued for its healing and medicinal properties. Cocoa was sacred, kings and Mayan gods drank it as per the artifacts. Chocolate is made from the beans of cacao pods from the Theobroma cacao tree (actually native to South America). It is actually bitter in taste but after the Spanish conquest, there was the addition of sugar and honey to it which made it extremely popular.

Chocolate was first introduced in Europe on July 7, 1550, probably in Spain after the explorer brought the delicacy back from Mexico, and it was love at first taste. Before that day, the cacao tree was completely unknown to Europeans. Cacao seeds were, however, used by Aztecs as a form of currency, because they were very valuable.

It is also suggested that cacao beans may have been fermented and served as an alcoholic drink as early as 1400 BC, but in Mexico chocolate might have been served as a drink even earlier – in 1900 BC. The cacao tree is, indeed, native in Mesoamerica, including Mexico, and it is cultivated there for ages. Europe, however, only got to know chocolate in the 16th century due to Christopher Columbus. He had encountered the cacao bean on his fourth journey to the Americas in 1502. He and his son noticed that the natives valued the beans so much, that they picked them all up “as if an eye had fallen”. Chocolate was then imported to Europe, beginning with Spain.

Today chocolate is widely regarded as the king of all confections. No Christmas or Easter celebration would be complete without it, and on Valentine’s Day, it ranks as one of our favorite gifts to express love and affection.

Fun Facts for Chocolate Day

• Cacao tree cultivation dates back to the Mayans, who used it to brew ceremonial drinks and even used the beans as currency.

• The majority of cacao trees grow within 20 degrees north or south of the equator.

• During the American Revolutionary War, soldiers were sometimes paid in chocolate.

• Dark chocolate is loaded with health-boosting minerals, including iron, magnesium, and potassium.

• The antioxidant properties of chocolate ( particularly dark chocolate ) may help protect your heart against disease.

• The chocolate chip cookie was invented in 1937 by Ruth Wakefield, proprietor of the “Toll House Inn.”

• Every year, Americans spend $16 billion on chocolate … and eat 2.8 billion pounds of it.

• White chocolate isn’t actually chocolate — it’s made from cocoa butter.

• Chocolate can also boost your mood (duh!), reduce stress, and improve your memory.

• Chocolate seems to melt as soon as you touch it? That’s because chocolate’s melting point is between about 86 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit – below your body temperature!

How to celebrate the day

• Stock up on your favorite chocolate treats. From dark chocolate to white, chocolate milk to hot chocolate, chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips, and more, there’s no end to the possible ways for you and fellow chocolate lovers to indulge.

• Make some chocolate-centered sweet treats with your friends or the kids.

• Treat yourself or a friend or loved one to the gift of a mostly-chocolates Candy Club subscription box. You can get it once, monthly for a year, or anything in between! There’s no better way to celebrate World Chocolate Day than with gourmet chocolate delivered straight to your door.

• Learn how to properly store chocolate so your treats are fresh on the big day and beyond.

10 Delicious Chocolate Quotes

• Your hand and your mouth agreed many years ago that, as far as chocolate is concerned, there is no need to involve your brain. – Dave Barry

• There’s nothing better than a good friend, unless it’s a good friend with chocolate. – Linda Grayson

• Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. – Tom Hanks

• Everywhere in the world there are tensions – economic, political, religious. So we need chocolate. – Alain Ducasse

• “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz

• Like love, chocolate is always a delight to receive or to give. – Mary Jane Finsand

• Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands – and then eat just one of the pieces. – Judith Viorst

• The greatest tragedies were written by the Greeks and Shakespeare…neither knew chocolate. – Sandra Boynton

• Chocolate says I’m sorry so much better than words. – Rachel Vincent

• Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive. – Joanne Harris

Suggested Read: Important Days In July