Read on to find out why!
Now there’s many a day for celebrating things chocolate related, from the recent National Chocolate Éclair day (22nd June if you missed it) to National Chocolate Cupcake day (coming on 18th October this year), but WORLD CHOCOLATE DAY is almost upon us!
It’s unclear who exactly came up with the idea for an international day to celebrate Chocolate (unfortunately we can’t claim credit for this fabulous idea!), what we do know is that this very special day has been celebrated every year since 2009. But why the 7th July you ask? Well that’s because chocolate was first brought to Europe on 7th July 1550!
Seeing that soon we will be celebrating chocolate in all its forms , we thought we’d bust two common chocolatey myths…
Can I store my chocolate in the fridge?
This is a question we get quite often, and the simple answer is yes but it’s not really recommended.
Storing chocolate in the fridge doesn’t just help cool it on a warm day, it also affects the taste quite a bit too. It leaves your chocolate exposed to everything else in your fridge meaning your chocolate will absorb all the flavours & odours of the food you’re storing (Yum, chocolate with a hint of chicken tikka masala anyone?).
We recommend storing your chocolate somewhere cool (not the fridge!) out of direct sunlight, and even better if you can hide it away from chocolate thieves in your house so it can be enjoyed by you and you alone…(I mean, who really wants to share their chocolate anyway?!)
Can you eat chocolate if it’s bloomed?
Firstly, what does blooming mean you may ask? We’re pretty
sure at some point you will have gone to eat some chocolate and found it
covered in a white coating.
That’s blooming, and it happens when the fats or
sugar appear on the surface and is caused by either being stored in a place that is too warm, too cold (like in a fridge) or age.
Although it looks a little less inviting, we’re pleased to tell you that it is safe to eat! Now, it is worth saying that you might think your
chocolate has bloomed slightly when in fact it hasn’t – Chocolate is sensitive
and can get a little damaged when knocked about but there’s definitely nothing wrong with it and it’s more than safe to eat
What about Chocolate Amnesty Day we hear you cry!
Well we reckon there are plenty of you out there that have chocolate you’re holding on to which has seen better days, whether it’s a sad squished MilkyWay bar at the back of the cupboard or that chocolate bar (that’s melted more times than you can remember and may even be out of date) you keep in the car for emergencies.
So here at Chocolat Chocolat for one day only we will be offering you the chance to trade in that sad chocolate for a bag of our chocolate buttons – voila, Chocolate Amnesty Day!
Look for more details closer to 7th July…………………
Our Children’s Pop Up Chocolate Making Sessions are back over Autumn half term on Wednesday 27th October 2021. £10 per child.