Close your eyes and taste it… Do you feel this delicate and refined flavor? It melts in your mouth and fills your heart with joy and pleasant excitement, and every next morsel pleases you more and more… Such is it – the king of sweeties, the lord of ladies’ hearts, delightful chocolate.
On the 7th of July (in USA) and 11th of July (in Europe) it is celebrated the World Chocolate Day. So let’s keep this day with a piece of this yummy confection!
The history of chocolate counts almost 3,000 years. Cocoa beans were known by ancient tribes of South America: they prepared the cocoa beverage with some spices and aromatic herbs. They believed that this beverage gave them spiritual insight, that’s why they called it “food of gods”. Some of these tribes even brewed “chocolate beer” using fermented cocoa beans.
Spanish conquistadors liked cocoa beverage and brought it to Europe, to the Spanish Royal Court where it soon became a beverage of nobles. The secret of the “chocolate” was kept very strictly: during 100 years 80 people were put to death because of the disclosure of this secret. Chocolate was so expensive that anyone could buy a slave only for 2 handfuls of cocoa nibs.
However, chocolate became popular in Europe, especially after invention of the hydraulic press in the first half of 19th century that facilitated the chocolate producing and allowed to manufacture the solid chocolate as we know it today. Since that time appeared a romantic profession of “chocolatier” who worked on chocolate manufactures or opened small cozy “Chocolate Houses” and offered to his visitors different kind of this wonderful delicacy.
At the same time were discovered beneficial effects of chocolate: its properties of aphrodisiac, elevation mood, ability to cut stress, anxiety and depression. And in the beginning of 20th century cocoa beans and sugar became cheaper and it made chocolate available and very popular.
Nowadays it became a symbol of sweet love and hot passion, thanks to what appeared nice tradition to make a present of chocolate to beloved lady.
So don’t miss the chance to taste some chocolate beverage or piece of chocolate cake: it can make your mood and your life better! And don’t forget to indulge your special lady on Step2Love with some sweet gift to the World Chocolate Day!