Intro
Have you had some chocolate today? It’s World Chocolate Day today🍫🍪. The annual global celebration of chocolate calls for indulging in delightful chocolate treats. Each year, this day is celebrated as the day chocolate first entered Europe in 1550.
Chocolates not only taste good but are healthy and could prove wonders for your overall heart health.
Eating chocolate releases endorphins, the feel-good chemicals in your body that make you feel happy.
Dark Chocolate is Healthy
- Antioxidants present in dark chocolates can help lower blood pressure and is good for your cardiovascular health.
- While some like white chocolate better than its dark counterpart, it must be noted that white chocolate isn’t really chocolate. It doesn’t contain cocoa particles and is just a mixture of sugar, vanilla, and cocoa butter.
- Chocolate is hailed as a heavenly fruit and the tree it is sourced from has an interesting name that suggests its reputation even in ancient times. In Greek, the tree is called Theobroma cacao which translates to ‘food for the gods’ in English.
- Eating chocolate releases endorphins, the feel-good chemicals in your body that make you feel happy.
- It takes up to 400 cocoa beans just to make roughly 500 grams of chocolate. On average, a cocoa pod contains 40 cocoa beans.
3 Great Reasons to Eat Chocolate
History
The history of chocolate can be traced to the ancient Mayans, and even earlier to the ancient Olmecs of southern Mexico. The word chocolate may conjure up images of sweet candy bars and luscious truffles, but the chocolate of today is little like the chocolate of the past. Throughout much of history, chocolate was a revered but bitter beverage, not a sweet, edible treat.
The U.S. National Confectioners Association lists four primary chocolate holidays on their calendar, Chocolate Day (July 7), two National Chocolate Days (October 28 and December 28), and International Chocolate Day (September 13), in addition to variants such as National Milk Chocolate Day, National White Chocolate Day, and National Cocoa Day.
Chocolate Day Ghana (known as National Chocolate Day) is a celebration instituted by the Ghana Tourism Authority in 2005 to coincide with Valentine’s Day.
The Top Cocoa Producing Countries in the World
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Ghana
- Indonesia
- Nigeria
- Ecuador
- Cameroon
- Brazil
- Sierra Leone
- Peru
- Dominican Republic
Which is the Chocolate Capital of the World?
Belgium’ capital may be known as the Capital of Europe, but it is also, at least as far as most chocolate aficionados are concerned, the ‘Chocolate Capital of the World’! Brussels houses more chocolatiers per square foot than any other city in the world.
Which Country Consumes Most Chocolate?
Switzerland is the leading country in chocolate consumption per capita, with citizens eating nearly nine kilos of the sweet stuff in a year. World renowned for the chocolate they produce, it seems the Swiss themselves can’t get enough of the treat.
Sources
Photo
Content
10 Countries You Should Visit if You’re a Chocolate Lover
Chocolate Day (Ghana)
History of Chocolate
The Top Cocoa Producing Countries In The World
World Chocolate Day
