What better way to get past thinking about the snow than indulging in National Chocolate Candy Day, December 28.
A little history: Before chocolate was made into a sweet candy, it was ground into a beverage. In the ruling class society, the beverage was used for medical purposes. Yup! In 1828, Dutch inventor, Coenraad Van Houten, developed a way to produce chocolate in solid form. His hydraulic press made it possible to remove the cocoa butter from the cacao. His invention led to a powder opening for the first chocolate confections. Thanks to Van Houten, we can enjoy the variety of chocolates we do today.
In celebration, we are sharing some fun chocolate facts:
- Whitman’s produced their first box of chocolate in 1842.
- In 1847, British chocolate company J.S. Fry & Sons combined cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and sugar-producing the first edible chocolate bar.
- The invention of the conching machine by Rodolphe Lindt in 1879 ushered in the mass production of the creamy treat.
- The first chocolate Easter egg was made sometime in the early 19th century. In 1875 John Cadbury introduced his first chocolate egg.
- When Allied troops stormed the beach of Normandy on D-Day, part of emergency rations and soldiers’ packs included the D ration bar designed by Hershey Chocolate company for the U.S. Army.
- The average American consumes 12 pounds of chocolate each year.