Celebrate International Chocolate Day Every September 13

• By NSC
• 3 Comments.

 

 

Chocoholics rejoice! September 13 is yet another chocolate holiday: International Chocolate Day.

Now, this day is different from just plain Chocolate Day, on July 7. It’s also different from National Chocolate day, coming up on October 28.

And different from World Chocolate Day on September 4. Of course, we’re not sure how “world” and “international” days differ … But we’re not going to complain about an abundance of chocolate holidays. No we’re not!

We’re also not forgetting about Chocolate Caramel Day. Or Chocolate Cake Day. Or Chocolate Covered Cherries Day. Or … Well, you get the idea. If you love chocolate, you can find lots of days to celebrate it in its many forms!

We don’t know when this day started, but it’s supported by the National Confectioner’s Association.

The web doesn’t always agree, though. Some sites put International Chocolate Day on July 7 … Apparently eliminating just Chocolate Day and reducing our chocolate holidays by one. That seems wrong.

Besides, there has to be a Chocolate Day of some sort on September 13! Why? Because that’s the day Milton S. Hershey (you know, of Hershey’s Chocolate!) was born in 1857.

 

A Bite of Chocolate Trivia

Trees! Chocolate grows on trees. Small trees, but trees just the same. The scientific name for the cocoa tree is Theobroma cacao. Chocolate is made from the seeds of its fruit.

One tree makes about 2,500 cocoa beans, which is enough to make a little more than 6 pounds of chocolate.

We don’t know exactly who first thought to use the cocoa fruit seeds to make a luscious treat, but it’s likely the pre-Olmec people in what is now Central America came up with the idea. There’s evidence of chocolate drinks in the area since at least 1900 BC. (Although these early chocolate “treats” were apparently rather bitter …).

Today the largest producer of chocolate is tiny Côte d’Ivoire, Africa. It makes around 30-40% of the world’s cocoa.

Chocolate can be good for you, in moderation. It contains antioxidants that help improve cardiovascular health and prevent some diseases. It’s even good for reducing blood pressure. And of course it makes you feel good because it prompts your body to release feel-good endorphins.

The world’s largest chocolate bar weighed 5,792.5 kg (12,770 lb 4.48 oz).

But you wouldn’t want to eat that whole bar by yourself, because eating too much chocolate is the opposite of good for you. In fact, eating more than about 20-ish pounds of chocolate can kill you…

Too much of a compound in chocolate, called theobromine, can cause all sorts of nasty things to happen to your body—including heart failure. Yikes! (Of course, my stomach would protest long before I got to 10 pounds, never mind 20).

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this unofficial chocolaty holiday.

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How to Celebrate International Chocolate Day

With chocolate, of course! And since this day doesn’t say what kind of chocolate we’re celebrating, you get to choose!

So if the day’s a cool one, curl up with a cup of hot chocolate. Or if the days are still hot, pour hot fudge over your ice cream (chocolate ice cream?).

Then of course, there’s actual fudge. Chocolate chip cookies. Truffles. Chocolate covered fruits or nuts. Or a simple bar of your favorite chocolate candy.

If you’d like to make your own chocolate treats, consider one of these:

• Easy Chocolate Croissants
• Croissant and Chocolate Bread Pudding
• Chocolate Fudge, from Alton Brown
• Chocolate Chip and Mascarpone Cupcakes, from Giada De Laurentiis: Seriously decadent cupcakes!
• Chocolate Devils: Devilishly delicious!
• Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes: A lightened version of lava cakes.
• Upside-Down Fudge-Almond Tart
• Bourbon-Caramel Truffles

 

And cap off your chocolaty day with a Chocolate Martini. This thick, rich drink is made using real melted chocolate. So good!

What chocolate creations will you be making for International Chocolate Day?

 

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