World Chocolate Day is celebrated on the 7th July of every year. It is an opportunity for lovers of chocolate to celebrate a day dedicated to this delectable fantasy. Not just chocolate bars, you can also indulge your sweet tooth by helping yourself to other types of chocolate treats like cakes, cupcakes, muffins, candy, hot chocolate, brownies, and so many other varieties.
History Of World Chocolate Day
Chocolate has its roots about 2,500 years back in Europe. It is believed that it was the Aztecs that discovered this delicacy in its liquid form and were so mesmerised by it was believed that it was Quetzalcoatl, their god of wisdom himself who had gifted them chocolates. Such was its importance that it was even used in the form of currency. This was before sugar started being added to it and, hence, was eaten in the bitter form. Once sugar started being added in the 1550s in Europe, it became a hit among the masses and was a favourite among many. This is World Chocolate Day history.
6 Interesting World Chocolate Day Facts
- Chocolate is native to Mexico, and Central and South America.
- White chocolate is not considered to be chocolate because it only contains cocoa butter and not cocoa powder.
- Spain used chocolate to spread love throughout the European continent for a long period of time.
- The first chocolate used in the form of a treat was not a chocolate bar but hot chocolate.
- The world owes the origin of milk chocolate to Britain.
- Baker’s chocolate is not solely meant for baking, it is used for other recipes as well.
6 World Chocolate Day Celebration Ideas
Here are some World Chocolate Day celebration ideas that you can plan:
1. Spread Happiness
Make everyone happy by spreading the word that today is World Chocolate Day. tell everyone you love – friends and family – about the day, so they can celebrate with you. Click a bunch of pictures of chocolates and post them on your social media, so your acquaintances also know about the grand occasion and plan the World Chocolate Day celebration in their own way.
2. Make Some Chocolaty Treats
Try your hands at some chocolaty treats at home and whip up all your favourite goodies – muffins, cupcakes, cakes, chocolate bars, ice cream – everything that you and your loved ones drool.
3. Organise A Chocolate Tasting Party
Order chocolate goodies at home or make some on your own and wait for your guests to turn up and taste them. You can even blindfold them before they taste and guess what recipe that is!
4. Host A Potluck Party
You can think of a chocolate-themed potluck party wherein each of your guests brings a chocolate-flavoured goodie to the party – whether they plan it themselves or buy one.
5. Watch Chocolate-Theme Pop Culture
Binge-watch movies that are all about chocolate like Charlie In The Chocolate Factory and The Chocolate Touch. Call your friends over to watch them together or watch them all by yourself.
6. Learn More About Chocolates
Google search and read everything that you can find about chocolates and all about International Chocolate Day – everything that catches your fancy. Google Baba ki jay!
4 Chocolate Varieties You May Want To Know About
- Dark Chocolate: This comprises cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions, and is devoid of sugar.
- Sweet Chocolate: This contains cocoa solids, cocoa butter or other sources of fat, and sugar.
- Milk Chocolate: This is sweet chocolate, along with milk powder or condensed milk. This is by far one of the most preferred chocolate varieties in India.
- White Chocolate: This comprises cocoa butter, milk, and sugar but no cocoa solids.
What are your favourite chocolate varieties?
3 Chocolate Recipes You Can Whip Up On International Chocolate Day
1. Chocolate Ganache Bar
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 200 ml fresh cream
- 340 grams of dark chocolate
Method
- Place a saucepan over medium heat, pour cream into it, and bring it to a boil.
- Switch off the gas and add chopped pieces of dark chocolate.
- Stir in the chocolate on low heat until it melts completely.
- Once you get a smooth and even mixture, pour it into a chocolate mould or let it cool completely, so you can pour it over cakes.
2. Milk Chocolate Bar
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 40 gms cacao butter
- 15 gms raw cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar of your choice
- 20 gms milk powder
- ⅛ tsp sea salt, as per taste
Method
- Add a few inches of water to a medium saucepan.
- Cover the pan with a bowl that is a little bigger than the diameter of the pan.
- Bring the water to a simmer.
- Chop the cacao butter into small pieces of more or less equal size and add it to the bowl.
- Keep stirring at frequent intervals so that it does not stick to the bottom of the bowl.
- Once the cacao butter melts completely, sift the cocoa powder and the milk powder into the bowl, and stir well to get an even consistency.
- Add sugar and give the bowl a good mix again.
- Turn off the flame and remove the bowl.
- Leave it aside for it to cool down in a few minutes, but not cool down entirely.
- Give it one final stir, pour it into a chocolate mould, and let it cool down and solidify on its own.
3. Chocolate Mug Cake
Preparation Time: 2 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp vegetable/canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp Nutella or chocolate spread
- Powdered sugar, to taste
Method
- Mix all the ingredients, except the chocolate spread, in a 375 ml mug or larger.
- Once done, layer the chocolate spread over the other ingredients.
- Microwave for 90 to 120 seconds. Keep a close watch on it to ensure that the ingredients don’t spill over. (make sure the ingredients don’t take up more than half the space of the mug before you put it into the microwave.
- Let it cool down for a minute before serving.
- Finish it off with a layer of chocolate spread and powdered sugar, if you want.
There’s hardly anyone who doesn’t like chocolates! So, celebrate International Chocolate Day in your own sweet way and make memorable memories, whether you are celebrating the day with friends and family or all by yourself. And, oh, don’t miss out on trying to make the chocolate recipes that we’ve just shared with you.
You can have this cake as a part of your Christmas celebration. If you are looking for authentic christmas cake, check out the recipes here.
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