World Chocolate Day
Happy Monday!
I hope you had a great weekend. Tj and I went out for dinner at this Italian restaurant we’ve been dying to try. Tj ate way too much and we laughed remembering the time we were in Positano, Italy and Tj also ate way too much and could hardly walk back to the hotel LOL.
This Sunday was the best kind of Sunday where I went to the gym and was super productive getting all my chores done, but I also had a great chat with one of my girlfriends in Canada, and I napped and read and did a face mask. It was a perfect way to reset before a busy week ahead.
June 7th was also World Chocolate Day.
Umm… how did I not know this was a thing!?
Anyone who knows me knows I love my chocolate. I completely take after my mom in this way… she has a not-so-secret candy stash that even the dog steals from (he likes gummies, not chocolate though haha).
A few years ago I took a chocolate course in baking school. My friend and I would always make sure to measure out our ingredients perfectly, and also take a little bit extra for our snacking bowl because snacking on the chocolate was inevitable. I’d always leave the class with my uniform covered in melted chocolate (don’t ask me how but I got it everywhere) but with a big smile on my face and a box of chocolate goodies to tide me over until the next class.
When I learned it was World Chocolate Day, I made sure to pick up some of our favourite chocolate treats from the store. I had a few Maltesers with my tea, and I’ll save the others for after dinner.
Health benefits of chocolate (from this article):
regularly eating dark chocolate may help reduce a person’s likelihood of developing heart disease
dark chocolate contains compounds with anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce inflammation in the body
eating dark chocolate may improve brain function and help prevent neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease
The health benefits from chocolate largely come from the quality of the cocoa and how it was processed. Although there are some health benefits to eating dark chocolate, it is usually also high in sugar and fat, so don’t eat too much.
History of chocolate (from this article):
chocolate is made from the fruit of cacao trees, which are native to Central or South America
ancient Mayans revered chocolate, and bitter chocolate beverages were used in celebrations
Mayans had chocolate drinks with every meal and it was mixed with chilli, honey, or water
in Aztec culture, cacao beans were used as currency and were considered more valuable than gold
In 1928, a Dutch chemist Coenraad Johannes van Houten invented dutch processing and the chocolate press which helped make chocolate affordable for everyone and opened the door for it to be mass produced
today, many cocoa farmers struggle to make ends meet and some turn to low-wage or slave labor (sometimes from child trafficking) to stay competitive
this has resulted in appeals for more “fair trade” chocolate which is created in an ethical and sustainable way
Books about chocolate:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Ronald Dahl
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan
Lindt Chocolate Bar: The Best Ever Recipes by Lindt
My favourite chocolate dessert:
Check out this recipe for one of my favourite chocolate desserts - Molten Chocolate Lava Cake
Today’s pictures are all from my chocolate baking class, and I've even included one of a chocolate baking disaster lol.