World Chocolate Day – 7th July, 2020
Chocolate the moment you see this, there is a sparkle in the eyes of people from all generations. Chocolate is that form of sweet which is divine and goes well with almost anything. It is the first thing that comes to our mind the moment we say deserts. There is a demand for chocolate in any form, be it chocolate blocks, chocolate cake or pastry, Choco shake. Everything that is associated with chocolate or its flavour becomes an instant hit with the masses. So, People all around the world celebrate the introduction of Chocolate in Europe on 7th July annually as World Chocolate Day or International Chocolate Day.
Until the year 1550, chocolate was only known to the natives of Mexico and parts of central and South America. When the foreign invades got to know about this fantastic thing, chocolate travelled to other parts of the world.
World Chocolate Day 2020 – History
Before the year 1550, chocolate is something that was known only to the people of Mexico and in some parts of central and South America. People started invading countries and continents for trade benefit, colonialization and other reasons. When this happened, there were a lot of Foreign invaders who came to Mexico and Central and South America.
They found out about chocolate and its different tastes, health benefits and how it can be used to make various by-products. These Foreign invaders introduced the chocolate to other parts of the world. In the year 1550, chocolate was introduced in Europe, and it became a big hit.
The chocolate day celebrated on different dates in other countries. National chocolate day is celebrated on 28th October in the United States. Still, the United States National Confectioners Association notes 13th September as International Chocolate day and this is very confusing for us.
West African country Ghana celebrates the chocolate day on 14th February, and Ghana is the second-largest producer of Cocoa. Latvia celebrates World chocolate day on 11th July. But the World Chocolate day or the International chocolate day is celebrated on 7th July annually worldwide to recognize the introduction of Chocolate to Europe in 1550.
There is another kind of chocolate days also that gets celebrated. Noting a few of them below:
- Bittersweet Chocolate Day – 10th January
- Milk Chocolate Day – 28th July
- White Chocolate Day – 22nd September
- Chocolate covered anything day – 16th December
As weird as they might sound to us, but these chocolate days are actual celebrations in some parts of the world.
How are our favourite Chocolates made?
Cocoa seeds are very bitter to taste right after it is plucked from the tree. These seeds have to be fermented, to develop the flavour. Once the seeds are fermented enough, they have to dry thoroughly. Once the seeds are nicely dried, they have to be cleaned and roasted. The shell of these cocoa seeds has to be removed to get the actual thing which is cocoa nibs. These cocoa nibs are then, ground to cocoa mass. Cocoa mass is the unadulterated chocolate in its rough form.
This cocoa mass is heated to a liquid, and it is called chocolate liquor. Chocolate liquor can be cooled and made into two forms Cocoa solids and Cocoa butter.
Different Types of Chocolate
By mixing varying quantities of different ingredients, different forms and flavours of chocolate are made. A substance such as mint, vanilla, coffee, orange or strawberry is added to chocolate in a creamy way. Choco chips are added in cookies, cakes and ice creams. Chocolate bars have ingredients like peanuts, nuts, fruit, caramel and crisped rice included in them.
Some variety of chocolates are:
- White Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate
- Cocoa Powder
- Couverture chocolate
- Ruby Chocolate
- Raw Chocolate
- Compound chocolate
- Modelling chocolate
World Chocolate Day 2020 – Significance
For the people who love chocolate, every day is a chocolate day. This day is all about celebrating chocolate, its different forms and flavours. Chocolate has become such a sweet part of our lives. Chocolate goes well with most of the characters. There are various products made out the chocolate, chocolate flavour or cocoa powder. Cakes, pastries, cookies, pudding, chocolate flavoured coffee and tea are some of the products that can be mentioned. Chocolate chips are used to garnish dishes and desert.
We can celebrate this day in many ways. Some ideas for the celebration are:
- By making some chocolates or chocolate products at home
- Go for a chocolate tasting session
- Visit a chocolate factory and understand how those excellent pieces of chocolates are made.
- Participate in those “Learn to do chocolates” workshops
Health Benefits of Eating Chocolate
The moment we say chocolate, we start thinking about all things indulgent and fattening. But what if I tell you that chocolate is one of the healthiest foods known to humanity.
Heart Health: Dark chocolates in particular without unhealthy additives and refined sugar can do wonders to your heart health. Dark chocolate contains an element Flavonoids which are essential antioxidants; these are very beneficial in protecting artery walls, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.
Good for immunity: Chocolates are a treasure house of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that could prove to be very beneficial for more durable resistance. Chocolate also boosts the response to antibodies.
Soothes Cough: Chocolate contains theobromine, studies have shown that theobromine helps better in treating sore throat,
Improves Brain Function: Chocolates boosts blood flow to some key area of the brain for a few hours at least. It can help you focus, sharpen memory and protect the brain from ageing.
Helps keep your weight in check: Dark Chocolate contains ingredients that favour weight loss. A study also says that eating dark chocolate for a dessert helps curb weight gain.
Curbs Cravings: Chocolates help you feel full for long, thereby curbing cravings. They are filled with monounsaturated fatty acids that are known to boost your metabolism and burn fat.
Soothes Digestion: According to studies, dark chocolate contains a substance that could heal an upset tummy and some gastrointestinal problems.
We all love chocolates in different forms, and binge eats them. This International Chocolate Day lets celebrate it by consuming chocolate in a way that helps boost our health benefits. Happy Chocolate Day!..
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