Welcome to our feature sharing Food Holidays: September 27th, 2022. I would like to ask you a question. Did you know today is National Chocolate Milk Day? If I had knew this earlier I would have picked up Hershey Chocolate Syrap and Donuts for our breakfast. Or purchased a 1/2 gallon of Chocolate Milk.Would you like to join us for breakfast this morning?
Did you know National Chocolate Milk Day is celebrated on September 27th? Our childhood senses are tingling. While Chocolate Milk can be spotted in any lunchroom in the United States, Chocolate Milk actually has Jamaican origins. That’s right. Jamaica gave us Ginger Beer AND Chocolate Milk. Chocolate Milk can be traced back to the 1400s, and its popularity continues to increase. In fact, the global Chocolate Milk market is forecast-ed to grow at a rate of 3.6% between 2019 and 2024.
History of National Chocolate Milk Day
Would you believe us if we told you that Chocolate Milk is a magical and sacred drink?
The earliest known use of Chocolate was by the Olmec around 1900 B.C., and the Olmec enjoyed Chocolate as a drink. Which was drunk from special round jars known as ‘Tecomates,’ which were symbols of status.
The Mayans subsequently worshiped a God of Cocoa. According to ancient Mayan written records, Chocolate drinks were served at gatherings including Weddings and to conclude other important events. They also prepared Cacao drinks as offerings to their Gods.
Chocolate drinks continued to be medicinal and magical throughout history. In 1687, Irish botanist Hans Sloane was appointed as a physician to the Duke of Albemarle in Jamaica. While in Jamaica, Sloane was introduced to Jamaican Chocolate Water. Hans Sloane found the drinks to be too bitter and added Milk for taste. Hans Sloane realized that Chocolate Milk tasted good and was also very healthy due to the calcium and protein.
Because of his position, Sloane was allowed to bring the drink mixture back to Europe. Sloane began preaching of the medicinal benefits and selling the beverage to Apothecaries.
In 1828, a company in Amsterdam, Van Houten, invented a method for pressing Cocoa. This produced a light, fluffy Chocolate Powder that could be easily dissolved in Water or Milk. This made Chocolate Milk even more popular because it was so easy to make.
U.S. brands caught on in the early 1900s with introductions including Ovaltine in 1904. Chocolate Milk’s popularity continued to increase, and now Chocolate Milk is one of the most popular beverages in the world.
National Chocolate Milk Day Activities
- Make adult chocolate milkIf you’re at least 21 years old, you can take chocolate milk to a new level. Add a splash of Kahlua or Baileys and voila! The perfect cocktail awaits.
- Take a milk mustache selfieRemember the Got Milk campaign? Grab some friends and relive your childhood nostalgia by taking selfies with milk mustaches.
- Paint a ceramic mugWant a super cool mug to enjoy your favorite beverage? You can paint or decorate your own ceramic mug.
5 Facts About Chocolate That Will Blow Your Mind
- Early Mesoamericans considered Cacao Beans to be so valuable that they used them as currency.
- Farmers must wait 4 to 5 years for a Cacao Tree to produce its first Beans.
- Switzerland created Chocolate so, naturally, they lead the world in Chocolate consumption with 22.36 lbs per person.
- In 1847, the England-based Fry’s company made the very first Chocolate Bar.
- Cacao Bean grows on the Cacao Tree (Theobroma Cacao), an Evergreen from the family Malvaceae (other members of the family include Okra or Cotton).
Why We Love National Chocolate Milk Day
- Regardless of our age, Chocolate Milk is a reminder of our childhood. From the vintage black and white Nestlé commercials to elementary school lunches, Chocolate Milk was the beverage of your youth.
- Chocolate Milk provides many nutrients including calcium, protein, and Vitamin D, which can benefit our health. Chocolate Milk helps muscles recover quickly after a tough workout and assists in replenishing fluids and critical nutrients that were lost in sweat.
- Did you really need a reason to drink Chocolate Milk? If you did, National Chocolate Milk Day provides you with the perfect excuse to grab a glass of Chocolate Milk.
Five Food Finds about Milk
- Chocolate Milk is a sweetened, usually cold, Cocoa-flavored Milk drink. Chocolate Milk is created when Chocolate Syrup or Chocolate Powder is mixed with Milk from Cows, Goats, Soy, Rice, and more.
- Chocolate Milk can be purchased pre-mixed or made at home with either Cocoa Powder and a sweetener including Sugar or a Sugar substitute. Or with melted Chocolate, Chocolate Syrup, or Chocolate Milk mix.
- Other ingredients, include starch, salt, carrageenan, Vanilla, or artificial flavoring may be added.
- Chocolate Milk should be refrigerated like plain Milk.
- A suspension is required to blend in the two flavors Milk and cChocolate, hence the name of the mixed drink.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
