Good morning, welcome to Valentine’s Day which is the perfect day to share this morning’s Food Holidays: February 14th, 2022, National Cream Filled Chocolates Day. I don’t know about you, but a piece of Chocolate sure sounds good this morning.
National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day– #ValentinesDay
Five Facts about Valentine’s Day Candy
In the 1800’s, physicians commonly advised their lovelorn patients to eat Chocolate to calm their pining.
More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of Chocolate will be sold on Valentine’s Day.
Did you know at one time, Conversation Heart Candies were made into shapes including horseshoes, baseballs, and watches
At least 10 new Conversation Heart sayings are introduced each year. Recent additions include “Yeah Right,” “Call Home” and “Puppy Love.”
It is believed that Madame Du Barry served Chocolate to all her suitors; Casanova consumed Chocolate instead of Champagne to induce romance; and Montezuma, the king of the ancient Aztecs, believed Chocolate would make him virile.
Sweet tooths all around the world come together to celebrate delicious cream-filled Chocolates on National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day, which falls on February 14th every year. It is only natural that one of the best types of Chocolates is celebrated on the day for which more Chocolates are bought around the world than any other day. In the week of Valentine’s Day, over 50 million pounds of Chocolate are purchased all around the world. From Marshmallow Cream and Coffee Cream to Vanilla, Cream-filled Chocolates have delicious centers that make the Chocolates taste even more decadent. It is no wonder that these creamy treats get their own Holiday.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL CREAM-FILLED CHOCOLATES DAY
Before cream-filled Chocolates became known as Truffles, they were called Pralines. The Belgian Chocolatier, Jean Neuhaus Junior, invented the first hard Chocolate shell in 1912, which allowed Chocolates to be filled with soft fillings. Neuhaus Jr. was the grandson of a Swiss immigrant, Jean Neuhaus. Neuhaus originally ran an Apothecary Shop where he covered medicines in Chocolate to make them more appealing to customers.
It was Neuhaus Jr. who created the very first Chocolate-filled Bonbons, which he called Pralines. However, some other Chocolatiers referred to them as Truffles because the early varieties were filled with Ganache, a glaze made from Chocolate and Cream. In the U.S., any cream-filled Chocolate is referred to today as a Truffle. In 2017, Bloomberg Pursuits praised the Neuhaus company for creating “the best Chocolate Truffle in the world.”
Chocolates have been a part of life as early as 1900 B.C. Back then, Chocolate was mainly prepared as a drink. Ancient Mayans enjoyed a drink of Chocolate with most meals. Their version of Chocolate was thick and frothy and was combined with Chili Peppers and Honey. The mighty Aztec ruler, Montezuma II, was said to love Chocolate so much that he drank gallons of Chocolate every day as an energy booster and aphrodisiac.
Chocolate is made from the Fruit of the Cacao Tees called pods. A single pod contains around 40 Cacao Beans, which can then be dried and roasted to create Cocoa Beans. Cocoa Beans are refined in Chocolate factories through winnowing and roasting. The resulting Chocolate Liquor is blended with Sugar and Milk and molded into the desired shapes.
No one really knows who started National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day, but it was undoubtedly a Chocaholic with very good taste.
NATIONAL CREAM-FILLED CHOCOLATES DAY ACTIVITIES
- On National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day, you can spoil yourself with a box or two of your favorite Cream-filled Chocolates. No one will judge you for digging in and gorging yourself on all the Chocolate that you can eat.
- Can you imagine how much fun it would be to have a Cream-filled-Chocolate themed party? You can invite all your friends over and sample Chocolates. From Chocolate fountains to Chocolate pong, you can test your creativity with the amount of Chocolate-themed fun you can have at your party.
- Making Cream-filled Chocolates is not as hard as it sounds. With hundreds of recipes online, you can don your chef’s hat and whip up a batch of Chocolates.
5 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT CHOCOLATE
- According to an Aztec legend, a deity named Quetzalcoatl was cast away by the other Gods because he shared Chocolate with humans.
- In the 1800s, physicians advised lovesick patients to eat Chocolates to help calm their pining and longing, in cases of unrequited love.
- Even though a large portion of the world’s Chocolate is made with Cocoa imported from the Ivory Coast, it is expensive and inaccessible to most Ivorians.
- During the Revolutionary War, soldiers were given Chocolate as payment for their services instead of money.
- Over two-thirds of the world’s C ocoa supply come from West Africa, with the Ivory Coast being the largest single producer.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL CREAM-FILLED CHOCOLATES DAY
- National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day is the kind of holiday you can taste.
- Even the strictest dieticians will tell you the importance of cheat days. Everyone deserves at least one day where they get to treat themselves to Chocolates.
- Chocolate has a rich history. Chocolate has come to be associated with love and romance. Chocolates are the way to our hearts. Cream-filled Chocolates are the best of all.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
