Today is…National Chocolate Day
Today we celebrate and indulge in chocolate, the sweet treat that is made from the cocoa bean, which comes from the Theobroma cacao tree. The word “chocolate” itself comes from the Spanish, and it stems from the Aztec word xocolatl, which means “bitter water.” The Aztecs pounded cacao beans and drank them without adding any sugar, and they thought that the beans came from the gods. Indeed, Theobroma means “food of the gods.” Cocoa beans are about 50% “cocoa butter” and 50% “chocolate liquor.” Hernando Cortés brought cocoa beans back to Spain, and a chocolate drink that included sugar became popular there right away. This seems to contradict the accounts that say chocolate wasn’t introduced in Europe until 1550. The word “chocolate” first appeared in print, in England, in 1604.
“When we give up on our dreams, we die while still alive.”Robin Sharma
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