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Some like it dark and bitter, others smooth and sweet, but no matter what your flavor preference this World Chocolate Day, on July 7, join us in taking a bite. The cacao bean, which is responsible for that unmistakably rich flavor we know and love so well, is native to Mexico as well as South- and Central America but has been transplanted into the U.S. and some European countries to match the high consumer demand for this delicacy. Whether it’s used to coat other candies and nuts, melted over fruit, or shaven over a gourmet dessert, chocolate always hits the spot.
History of the World Chocolate Day!
Established in 2009, World Chocolate Day marks the supposed anniversary of the day that this iconic dessert made its first entrance into Europe in 1550. All around the world on this date, candy stores, and local suppliers place their best-loved merchandise on sale so that everyone, both young and old, can enjoy a nibble of the stuff.
In order to craft a bar of chocolate, seeds from a cacao tree are covered with banana leaves and left to ferment, at which point they are called cocoa beans. Once the cocoa beans have arrived at their processing plant, they are roasted slowly at a low temperature. Then it’s time to separate the shells from the nibs so that the nibs can be ground to a fine powder called cocoa liquor.
The two products most vital to chocolate production come from this cocoa liquor paste. Cocoa powder is produced and packed for purchase at grocery stores so that we can bake the beloved roasted taste profile into our cakes and cookies, while cocoa butter is produced so that manufacturers can use it as an ingredient in their chocolate bars.
Dark chocolate, which tastes most like its mother seed, is simply a mixture of cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, and sugar. Milk chocolate includes those three ingredients plus a smattering of milk powder. At this point, chocolatiers can add things like nuts, salts, and syrups to elevate the flavor profile. Once cooled, the mixtures harden into the shapes of their respective molds, are wrapped in paper, and shipped to our favorite stores and candy shops.
