Good evening, welcome back to our series sharing Food Holidays: April 20th, 2022. Today is National Chocolate Covered Cashew Day. I don’t know about you, but this sounds so good right now. Although, I am sure these would be Charlie and David’s favorite I prefer Pecans or Almonds. How about you?
National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day
Five facts about Cashews
- Did you know Pistachio, Mango, Cashew and even Poison Ivy are in the same family?
- Cashews are native to Costa Rica and Central America. The fresh Cashew Nut has a substance inside that produce a big burn and rash in both the skin and mouth, at the same time this is a highly valuable product known as Cashew Nutshell Liquid or CNSL, ingredient that have special structural features for transformation into specialty chemicals and high value polymers. This is important considering the fact that, since this is a renewable resource, is better than synthetics.
- The Cashew Nut and a different thing is the Cashew Apple, this last one is a kind of Fruit to which it’s attached the Nut. This fleshy Fruit has an aroma some people love while others dislike. The most common way of preparation of this Fruit is doing a tasteful juice mixed using Water and Sugar.
- Cashews in Costa Rica are harvested during March and April.
- A quite interesting experience is to burn in wood fire a Raw Cashew Nut, this CNSL is highly flammable and while it burns produces impressive tiny explosions. Kids shouldn’t try this without parent’s supervision. Gases and fumes can also irritate. This experiment should be done in open spaces.
Fun Fact:
India is the world’s largest producer of Cashews, with Brazil second. Making Africa a distant third.
While high in fat, Cashews actually contain less fat than other mass-produced Nuts, including Almond and Walnuts. The amount of dietary fiber contained make Cashews a good food for weight loss when eaten in moderation.
Cashews have a high fat content, which means that if Cashews are left at room temperature, they won’t stay fresh for long.
National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day is on April 21st. I’m here to help you celebrate the Holiday. Did you know that it has been almost 600 years since Cashews were first discovered? Chocolate is something we all love. One of the ways to make Chocolate even better is to add yet another thing that we absolutely love Cashews! Chocolate is enjoyed with a variety of options including Peanuts, and Apricots. National Chocolate Covered Cashew Day is dedicated to the combination of Chocolate with Cashews. The Holiday celebrates these treats enjoyed by people of all ages.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED CASHEWS DAY
Chocolate is said to have originated in Mesoamerica, where the Aztecs are said to have grown Cacao plants, from which they made Chocolate. It is believed that the Aztecs drank Chocolate as part of rituals. Some even say that Chocolate was an ingredient in medicine. The Mayans even referred to Chocolate as the drink of the Gods. In those times Chocolate was not eaten as solid food, nor was Chocolate sweet. Chocolate was consumed in liquid form and was ‘unsweetened,’ giving it a bitter taste.
Later in the early 1500s, Hernán Cortés, an explorer from Spain, introduced Chocolate to Spain. It is said that Cortés was on a visit to Mesoamerica when a Mayan Emperor gifted Cortés a cup of Cocoa. Cortés then sowed Cocoa Seeds in his hometown. Thus, the Cocoa plantation rose to prominence in Spain. The Spaniards added Sugar and Honey to overcome the bitter taste of Cocoa. Many years later, Chocolate traveled to Europe and was a popular drink among the Monarchs and Aristocrats.
Cashews are said to have been discovered in Brazil in the 1500s. The word ‘Cashew’ is said to have come from the Tupi Indian word ‘Acaju,’ which means, ‘a but.’ When Cashews was first discovered they were thought to be inedible. As the outer shell consists of an irritable acid. The natives of Tupi-Indian tribes taught the Europeans that it was the fruit skin and not the seeds that were acidic. They also taught them how to eat Cashews by roasting them.
In the 1900s, many companies including Nestle started mass-producing Chocolate with nuts like Cashews or Peanuts which soon became a favorite snack among people of all ages.
Though the exact origin of National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day is not known, the Holiday has been celebrated by millions every year on April 21st to give recognition to the delicious combination of Chocolate with Nuts.
HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED CASHEWS DAY
- What better way to celebrate National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day than to eat your favorite Chocolate-covered Nuts? Grab a Cashew Snickers or Chocolate Covered Cashews.
- Let everyone know the importance of the Holiday, and that you’re celebrating today. Take a few pictures of you enjoying Chocolaty Cahsews and post them on Social Media.
- Chocolates are something that only gets sweeter when shared. Give boxes of Chocolates to a friend.
5 FACTS ABOUT CHOCOLATE
- Chocolate is said to have derived from the Aztec word ‘Xocoatl,’ which referred to the drink made from Cacao beans.
- Theobroma Cacao,’ the Latin name for the Cacao plant roughly translates to ‘the food of the Gods.’
- Joseph Fry is said to be the first person who created the first-ever solid Chocolate bar.
- According to a 16th-Century Aztec document, Chocolate was once used as currency in Latin America.
- Rudolph Lindt, the founder of Lindt Chocolates, is said to have designed the first-ever conching machine.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED CASHEW DAY
- National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day gives us a chance to enjoy Chocolate and Cashews. We often get busy with our lives and forget to treat ourselves with something that we love. This Holiday is a day to keep stress aside and indulge in Nutty Chocolaty Cashews.
- Chocolate-covered Cshews are something we all love. Yet people believe that Chocolate Covered Cashews does not get the recognition it deserves. This Holiday allows us to show love to Chocolate Covered Cashews.
- This Holiday is special because people celebrate this day by sending and sharing Chocolate-Covered Cashews. This Holiday gives us a chance to share Chocolates with someone especially kids. Just make sure they do not have an Allergic reaction to Nuts.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
