Chocolate is amazing! Right from gifting a loved one or to lift up your own mood, chocolates can be the solution for many problems. As the World Chocolate Day falls on 7th July, let’s have a look at some of the interesting facts related to Chocolate.
1. Smelling Chocolate can relax your brain
British Psychologist Neil Martin conducted a test where he found that aromas of Chocolate can relax the brain making it less stressed and less anxious. He used electroencephalography (EEG) to study the effect of chocolate aromas on brain activity.
2. Belgium issued a limited edition of chocolate flavored stamps in 2013
The Belgian post office released more than 500,000 chocolate flavored stamps in 2013. These stamps had pictures of chocolate on the front and essence of cocoa oil in the glue at the back for taste and in the ink for smell. Five different types of stamps were issued to feature different forms of chocolate. The collection was created by a special team of fragrance and taste experts from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
3. Cocoa Beans were used as currency
Historians have documented that the Aztec and Mayan civilizations used cocoa beans to barter food, clothes and sometimes even services. In their culture chocolate was valued more than gold. As it was an esteemed product, chocolate was reserved for special occasions and was available to the noble ones during that time.
4. In 1947, some Canadian children went on a strike to protest against the price rise of a chocolate bar.
Post the World War II many companies in Canada surged prices on various products. As a result of this move, the price of a chocolate bar jumped from 5 cents to 8 cents. Outraged by this inflation, some Canadian children in Ladysmith, British Columbia took to streets to protest. Although it started at Ladysmith, soon it spread across the country. Later it came to be known as the Chocolate Bar Strike or Candy Bar Strike.
5. Chocolate syrup was used to show blood in the famous ‘shower scene’ of the 1960 black & white movie Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock’s movie Pyscho is a psychological crime thriller that has bothered many minds. The 45 second shower scene, that portrays the murder of a woman, has been one of the most famous scenes in the history of cinema. As the movie was in black and white, the makers used chocolate syrup for to be shown as blood.
6. Joseph Fry created the first modern chocolate bar in 1847.
Chocolate was mostly consumed in liquid form in earlier time. In 1847 Bristol’s Joseph Fry found out a way to mix cocoa powder, sugar, and cocoa to form a paste which was then molded into a bar shape. Fry’s Chocolate Cream Bar came out in 1866 as the first chocolate bar in the world.
These were some cool facts about chocolate of World Chocolate Day bought to you by Discover East. Also read about these health benefits of chocolate.
(Feature image source: Wallpaperup)
