Turn Any Rough Day Around with the Sweet Power of White Chocolate

Satisfy your sweet tooth on National White Chocolate Day on September 22nd. Enjoy it with pretzels or drizzled on pastries. It’s a versatile confection with many ways to celebrate!

• 1900 BC – Chocolate has been around a long time; Mesoamericans consumed it as a beverage as early as 1900 BC, and they considered it sacred to Quetzalcoatl.
• 1502 – It wasn’t until Christopher Columbus visited the New World for the 4th time in 1502 that chocolate was brought back to the UK, and the rest is history.
• 1930 – Invented by the Swiss company Nestlé, the first bar of white chocolate, called the Galak bar (rebranded as the MilkyBar in English-speaking countries), was revealed to the confectionery-loving world.​
• 1945 – ​​In the U.S., Kuno Baedeker developed a white chocolate while working for the Merckens Chocolate Company, which still makes chocolate today (and incidentally, also markets other sweet treats like Black Chocolate Wafers).
• 1948 – Nestlé released the Alpine White bar. While the white chocolate itself was a novelty at this time, the real excitement of the Alpine White was that it included almonds in the chocolate.
• 1990s – Hershey began mass production of white Kisses in the 1990s, a product that diversified during the early 21st century to include a chocolate white-dark swirl Kiss called the Hug
• 2004 – ​After 10 years of petitioning by chocolate manufacturers, the FDA finally agreed to expand its definition of “chocolate,” making white chocolate officially a part of the chocolate family.
• Chocolate was so valuable during the Aztec empire that it served as currency and was, in fact, the expected form of payment for taxes levied on the people they ruled.
• White chocolate contains only trace amounts of caffeine that is present in cocoa solids.
• White chocolate’s high fat content causes it to absorb other odors – so best to store it in a cool, dark place – the fridge. Otherwise, your white chocolate may taste like onions and stinky cheese.
• Real white chocolate will be yellow – not white. That’s because cocoa butter is ivory-colored. If your white chocolate is actually white, it’s probably more confectionery than true white chocolate (almond bark, for example)
• The melting point of cocoa butter, its primary cacao bean component, is high enough to keep white chocolate solid at room temperature, yet low enough to melt in the mouth.
• Regular consumption of white chocolate can help lower the bad cholesterol level in the body. It also helps absorb vitamins from the food we consume. In addition, it also protects you from coronary heart disease.
• Eating disorders can affect your health badly. To prevent this health condition, try eating a piece of white chocolate regularly.
• According to research, white chocolate can reduce the risk of breast cancer because it contains a compound, polyphenols, which act as an antioxidant and prevent the growth of cancer cells in the body.
• White chocolate is made with milk, which makes it a great source of calcium.
• The flavonoids present in white chocolate are really helpful for your brain, as they support memory formation.
• Gout is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints and leads to joint pain. It is caused by the deposition of crystals of uric acid in a joint. White chocolate contains high levels of antioxidants that can break down uric acid molecules that accumulate in the joints.
• No matter your mood, white chocolate can make your day. If you have a bad day or something is worrying you, just take a bite of white chocolate. This is because white chocolate can help the body produce feel-good hormones.
• There are about 540 calories in 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of white chocolate.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Days of the Year

Chez Slaughter Chocolate

Blushin

Bold Sky

National Today