Chocolate
Chocolates are pictured during the opening of the Nestle Chocolate Centre of Excellence in Broc near Fribourg, Switzerland, Sept. 7, 2009. Reuters/Denis Balibouse

The love for chocolate is undying for many if not most people. Some people do not even need a reason to unwrap that Hershey’s bar and gorge on it. And there is even more reason to savor this sweet, especially today, since Friday is World Chocolate Day.

Every year July 7 is celebrated as World Chocolate Day. This year, it marks 467 years since chocolate was first introduced to Europe in 1550, according to Wired.

Read: Queen Elizabeth Travels Everywhere With Her Chocolate Biscuit Cake

While many health conscious people stay away from chocolate due to its calorie count, some studies have shown chocolate to acts as a stress reducer. Among the different kinds of chocolates, dark chocolate is reported to be the healthiest.

Following are some facts about chocolate gathered from SFGate, the Telegraph, National Confectioners Association and BuzzFeed.

  • About 400 pounds of cocoa beans are needed to make one pound of chocolate.
  • English typefounder Joseph Fry is credited with inventing the first chocolate bar in 1847.
  • Chocolate can be incorporated in a balanced, heart-healthy diet and lifestyle, which several studies reportedly show.
  • On a daily basis, U.S. chocolate manufacturers use about 3.5 million pounds of whole milk to make milk chocolate.
  • About 70 percent of cocoa is sourced from West Africa.
  • During Mayan times, cocoa beans were considered to be worth more than gold dust and were used as currency. Due to this, cultivation of the beans was limited so its value did not decline.
  • White chocolate is not classified as chocolate. A real chocolate contains cocoa solids or cocoa liquor. White chocolate instead has cocoa butter.
  • Chocolate is packed with high levels of a powerful stimulant called theobromine. And poisoning due to the stimulant can lead to heart failure, seizures, acute kidney damage and dehydration.
  • Unlike other chocolates, dark chocolate does has lower quantities of fat and sugar. It contains at least 70 percent cocoa, and is reported to have nutritious antioxidants and flavonoids.
  • A single-serving chocolate bar is made in two to four days.
  • People allergic to chocolate are also allergic to cockroaches, as about eight insect parts are generally found in a bar of chocolate, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
  • Despite having about eight insect parts in chocolate, the FDA deems it safe for consumption. "Most foods have natural contaminants in them, but there are levels which the FDA deems safe. Anything more than 60 insect pieces per 100 grams of chocolate is rejected by the FDA," according to the FDA.
  • The chocolate industry is worth approximately $110 billion a year.
  • The largest chocolate bar weighed more than 12,770 pounds.

Read: Chocolate Milk Comes From Brown Cows, Believe 7 Percent Of Americans

  • German chocolate cake is not related to Germany. It was named after its inventor — an English-American chocolate maker named Samuel German.
  • The Brussels Airport is reportedly the biggest chocolate seller in the world and vendors there sell over 800 tons of chocolate every year.
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