World Chocolate Day: Know history, date and interesting facts

If you are one of those who cannot imagine your life without chocolate, then today might just be your favourite day. World Chocolate Day is marked on 7 July to give all chocolate lovers the chance to indulge in their favourite treat without any guilt. Be it the slightly bitter taste of dark chocolate or the flavourful fruits and nuts chocolate bar, there’s something for everyone on this occasion. Why is World Chocolate Day celebrated on 7 July? The date was chosen as it is believed that the iconic dessert entered Europe on this very day in 1550. The first World Chocolate Day was marked in 2009. Where does chocolate come from? Chocolate comes from the fruit of cacao trees, which are native to South and Central America. The slightly bitter beans of the fruit or ‘pod’ of the cacao tree were dried and fermented by the Aztec civilization to create an unsweetened beverage. However, the Aztecs were not the only ones to use the beans. The first evidence of cacao seeds dates to about 1100 BCE in Central America. The Europeans later took the cacao bean to Europe. From there, the secret of making chocolate spread to the world. Here are some interesting facts about chocolate:

• While the cacao tree is native to South and Central America, today 70 per cent of the world’s cacao production comes from Africa.
• The first chocolate bar was created by Francis Fry, with brands Cadbury and Mars soon following suit. Nestle made the world’s first white chocolate bar in 1930- Galak.
• Approximately 400 cacao beans are needed to make one pound of chocolate.
• The recipe for milk chocolate took nine years to perfect.
• About 36 million heart-shaped chocolate boxes are sold every Valentine’s Day.
• Chocolate was earlier considered food for royalty. It only became available to the public in the 19th century when mass production during the Industrial Revolution lowered the price of the dessert.
• The most expensive chocolate in the world was the Trinity - Truffles Extraordinaire. Manufactured by Fabelle Exquisite Chocolates in 2019, the limited edition chocolate was priced at Rs 4.3 lakh per kilo.

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