World Chocolate Day is celebrated on July 7 annually. The day marks the introduction of chocolate to native Europeans back in the 1500s.
Legend has it that chocolate was considered as divine food by the Mayans and the Aztecs. And now, most humans simply cannot do without this nugget made in heaven. Chocolate is made from the beans of the tropical cacao tree, named Theobroma Cacao, or ‘food of the gods,’ by Carl Linneaus, the 18th-century Swedish botanist.
History of World Chocolate Day
World Chocolate Day officially came into being in 2009 — to mark the supposed anniversary of the day it was introduced to Europe in 1550.
The word ‘chocolate’ is of Spanish origin, derived from the classical Nahuatl word xocolātl. Chocolate was originally prepared as a fermented drink from cacao pods. The cacao seeds were believed to be so valuable that they were used as a form of currency.
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According to Aztec mythology, the cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, who was cast away by the other gods for sharing it with humans.
Europeans popularised the consumption of chocolate approximately 450 years ago.
Though the exact date is not known, it is believed that chocolate reached Europe's shores sometime around July 7, hence World Chocolate Day is celebrated worldwide on this day.
Chocolate has come a long way from being just a drink. It has been commercialised and adapted into numerous recipes, each one better than the other.
Chocolate is certainly one of the eternal favourite flavours across all seven continents. Today, chocolate is a multi-billion-dollar industry worldwide. People around the world celebrate the day by making different desserts with chocolate or by simply enjoying the rich delicacy.
