Chocolate Everywhere On Chocolate Day
Chocolate has to be the most scrumptious of all our sweet dessert friends. Regardless of where you are, you’re sure to find chocolate in one way, shape, or form, as so many cultures have embraced and adopted it. To this day, it remains as one of the most popular things to eat in the world, no matter your age, gender, race, or political stance. Most people enjoy it as chocolate cake, chocolate cookies, hot chocolate, Easter chocolate eggs. Let’s also not overlook a classic block of chocolate… We’ve even seen recipes for spicy chocolate milk chicken! Let’s look more closely at this versatile friend this July 7, it’s Chocolate Day.
Chocolate in the World
Mesoamerican roots have seen cacao picked up by trade winds and adapted into various forms. Some countries that make the best chocolate include Belgium, Switzerland, and Ecuador. Belgium has more than 2,000 chocolate shops, most of which are entirely hand-crafted! But what about the claim that eating chocolate is good for you? The Swiss have the highest consumption of chocolate per capita. So it follows that they must be some of the healthiest people in the world, right? Well, according to the World Bank, Switzerland does have a higher than average life expectancy compared to other nations.
In actual fact, flavanols found in cocoa beans do have antioxidant effects. There are more flavanols in dark chocolate. Some research has even linked its consumption to a reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease. Like most claims, more research is required before chocolate can take a seat as a proclaimed health food next to kale and walnuts.
Everyone Loves Chocolate!
But one thing we can be sure of, Roahl Dahl’s Willy Wonka was onto something with his Chocolate Factory’s chocolate river and an offer for a lifetime supply of chocolate. As we mentioned, age does not discriminate against one’s love of chocolate. It’s sort of a rite of passage when you’re a kid. We often find it in a first birthday cake, and what’s the best thing about Easter and Halloween? Going on an egg hunt or trick or treating to later compare your haul to the other kids! Let’s not forget when the adults drink the big-people-drink of coffee, youngsters get to drink the little-big-people-drink of hot chocolate…
If you’re not salivating already, we’re going to rattle off some other ways in which to enjoy chocolate and to reaffirm the fact that it is one of the most popular things to eat in the world. There’s chocolate mud cake, regular chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, chocolate tarts, ooey-gooey chocolate volcano cakes, chocolate bars, chocolate truffles, chocolate petit-fours, chocolate brownies, chocolate milk, chocolate snacks like M&M’s, choc-hazelnut spreads, choc-coffee mochas, there’s even hot chocolate fudge drizzled over chocolate ice cream!
Pick your chocolate poison and enjoy Chocolate Day.
