National Milk Chocolate Day

Find the history of milk chocolate interesting read the full article here: www.cocoaandheart.co.uk/history-of-chocolate-timeline/ 

Yumm… just the thought of milk chocolate makes my mouth water and turns my sense of smell up on high. Do we all have a favorite kind of milk chocolate? Or is it simply chocolate in general that wins our hearts?

I find the history of chocolate so interesting. According to Cocoa & Heart’s chocolate timeline, people in Central America were drinking chocolate as early as around 1500 BC. The cacao tree may have been cultivated even earlier than once believed.

The Olmec people, who predate the Maya and Aztec by hundreds of years, are often connected to the earliest known use of cacao. Because cacao trees need very specific growing conditions, many historians believe the Olmec may have been among the first to turn cacao into something special.

Later, the Maya and Aztec celebrated the cocoa bean in ceremonies and enjoyed chocolate drinks flavored with herbs and spices, including chili. It was bitter—not sweet like what we enjoy today—but it was valued, nourishing, and full of tradition.

Then, in 1492, Columbus brought cocoa beans to Europe, and in 1528 Hernando Cortez brought them to mainland Spain.

Across Spain and Europe, people found the new drink dark and bitter, so they began adding vanilla, sugar, and spices such as nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. By 1657, the first chocolate drink house had opened in England by a Frenchman, and chocolate was well on its way to becoming a favorite treat.

As the centuries passed, cocoa found its way into more than cups. In 1674, it was used as an ingredient in baking, including cakes, continuing Europe’s love for everything chocolate. By 1765, the first chocolate factory had opened in America, where Mr. Baker and Mr. Hannon ground cocoa beans into a paste for drinking chocolate.

Chocolate continued to be refined around the world. In the 1800s, chocolate became easier to enjoy in new forms, and milk chocolate as we know it today began to take shape in Switzerland when Daniel Peter developed a way to combine chocolate with milk.

And that was the start of a global passion for chocolate: hot chocolate, chocolate bars, truffles, mocha, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, flakes, powders, and so many other delicious combinations. Look around now and you will see how deeply chocolate has become part of our holidays, celebrations, sweet gifts, and even romance.

So today, for National Milk Chocolate Day, plan an extraordinary chocolate-filled day:

1.       Invite friends over for a chocolate party.

2.       Plan a dessert table with chocolate mousse, chocolate cake, and individual chocolates.

3.       Order supplies for your chocolate theme, like a cute tablecloth or fun party decorations.

4.       Make it simple and cozy with a favorite milk chocolate bar, a cup of hot chocolate, or a homemade chocolate dessert.

Or share this fun holiday with your special someone through a day of chocolate surprises. However you celebrate, I hope you have a great milk chocolatey day.

Here are a link from our amazon affiliate links for individual chocolates which we may make a small commission from your purchase at no cost to you:

Individual chocolates. https://amzn.to/452cxKa

Or just share this fun holiday with your special someone in a day of chocolate surprises. No matter how you celebrate have a great milk chocolatey day.

Until next time,