World Chocolate Day falls on July 7. Even if we wanted to, every day would be World Chocolate Day!
According to history, July 7, 1550 was the day chocolate was first introduced to Europe.
To celebrate World Chocolate Day, here are seven fun facts about chocolate:
1. Chocolate money in the Mayan era
Maya is believed to have been the first to discover chocolate and while Maya, your favorite chocolate can be worth gold!
Like many ancient civilizations, the ancient Mayans exchanged and traded goods rather than using coins as money. However, it was recently discovered that the Mayan civilization began to use cocoa beans as currency.
For chocolate day gift ideas you can read this article - The Best Chocolate Gifts for Any Occasion
2. Chocolate is good for your health
Hooray, chocolate can be good for your health! It is generally believed that the darker the chocolate, the greater its health benefits.
Recent studies have shown that dark chocolate is good for supporting our immune systems, reducing inflammation, and increasing brain activity! All this because it is rich in antioxidants such as flavonoids, catechins and antioxidant polyphenols.
If you ask us, it sounds like the perfect excuse to treat yourself to a night of relaxation and rejuvenation, sipping chocolate while soaking in a tub of chocolate cake bubbles… After all, it's good for your health!
3. Chocolate melts in your mouth
Have you ever wondered why chocolate is so delicious that it melts in your mouth?
Chocolate melts at temperatures below the temperature of human blood, which is why it is so satisfying in the mouth. Milk chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa butter, so it melts in your hands more easily, while dark chocolate will melt in your mouth!
Not a fan of summer's messy melted chocolate? Get your tan on with our chocolate cake bath and body care.
4. Say it with chocolate
Belgium is famous for its delicious chocolate. So it's no wonder that in 2013 Belgium issued more than 500,000 stamps that smelled like cocoa and were lacquered to look like chocolate.
The stamp even has a special glue on it that feels like chocolate when licked!
If only the smell and taste of chocolate were common, you would definitely see us writing more love letters and sending snail mail to all our writer friends instead of texting!
5. Power Up with Chocolate
As well as sending the message that chocolate is good for you, it can also help you focus, sharpen your memory and protect your brain from aging.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Nottingham in 2012 found that eating dark chocolate can increase blood flow to certain areas of the brain. This boost, loaded with chocolate, translates directly into higher task productivity and overall alertness.
6. Chocolate grows on trees
Money may not grow on trees, but chocolate does! Each cacao tree can produce 2,500 beans, with around 3.8 million cacao beans grown each year.
With the demand for chocolate so high, it's important to help protect the environment by supporting cocoa suppliers who follow sustainable practices.
7. The first chocolate bar made in England
We are proud of our British roots and equally proud when we discovered that the first chocolate bars (as we know them!) were made in England.
The first chocolate bars were made by Fry's in 1847 and the market for chocolate bars has grown rapidly ever since. Almost 200 years later, chocolate is still one of the most popular sweets in the UK!
