Hyderabad: Chocolate is one of the delicacies in the world which most people love to taste. Chocolate is one of the top options when it comes to buying a gift for someone. Its taste can instantly lighten a dull day for most people. "World Chocolate Day" is celebrated on July 7 every year all around the globe. World Chocolate Day was initially celebrated in Europe, and then the celebrations spread across the world.
The history of chocolate dates back about 2,500 years. Initial traces of processing the seeds of the cocoa tree and making chocolate out of it run back 2,000 years ago in the rainforests of the United States. In the early days, chocolate was only made in Mexico and Central America. But, as Spain conquered Mexico in 1528, the Spanish king returned with large quantities of cocoa beans and chocolate-making equipment to Spain. Soon, chocolate became a fashionable drink among the Spanish nobility. Chocolate was also used as a currency in some parts of the world.
Initially, chocolate used to be a bitter and strong drink, unlike the chocolate bars we consume today. Further, this drink was mixed with honey, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, etc across the world to make it drinkable for everyone. In the 17th Century, Sir Hans Sloane, an Irish physician, processed this drink in a way which made it suitable for chewing.
Twenty-five years after Sloane discovered chewable chocolate, Cadbury was launched in England after its owners purchased Sloane's chocolate processing equipment from Milton S. at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Hershey's also became one of the world's most famous chocolate makers by producing chocolate-coated caramel. Launched in 1860, Nestlé also became the world's one of the most popular milk-chocolate producers.
Chocolate also has many health benefits. The Aztecs used to drink chocolate mixed with spices as an aphrodisiac. Chocolate's natural chemicals have been scientifically proven to improve people's moods. The tryptophan in chocolate affects the levels of endorphins in our brains, which makes us feel happy. Eating a controlled amount of chocolate every day is also considered good for the heart and keeping heart diseases at bay.
