Posted on 01/10/2023 5:47:48 AM PST by Red Badger
NATIONAL BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE DAY
Chocolate lovers, rejoice! National Bittersweet Chocolate Day on January 10th gives you the excuse to indulge in some chocolate satisfaction. (National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day is celebrated on November 7th.)
#BittersweetChocolateDay
Chocolate comes from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao, which has been cultivated for at least three millennia, is grown in Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America. The earliest known documentation of the use of cacao seeds is around 1100 BC. The cacao tree seed has an intensely bitter taste and must be fermented to develop the flavor.
Once the seeds have been fermented, the beans are then dried, cleaned, and roasted. After roasting, the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The cacao nibs are then ground into a cocoa mass which is pure chocolate in rough form. Usually, the cocoa mass is liquefied then molded with or without other ingredients. This is called chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor may then be processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter.
Bittersweet chocolate is chocolate liquor to which sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla have been added. It does have less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate. However, the two of them may be interchangeable when baking.
Studies have revealed that there are certain health benefits from eating bittersweet chocolate in moderation, such as lowering blood pressure and helping to protect the heart.
HOW TO OBSERVE BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE DAY
Bittersweet chocolate offers many ways to celebrate. We can go in so many directions with bittersweet chocolate. Add a little to your baking or sprinkle a little in your morning coffee. Do you like pudding or chocolate chip cookies? This is the chocolate for you. The choice is up to you which delicious chocolate creation you make. However, once you decide, be sure to share your creations, too.
Use #BittersweetChocolateDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE DAY HISTORY
National Day Calendar continues to research the origins of this delectable day while baking up some terrific treats.
Chocolate FAQ
Q. Are bittersweet chocolate and dark chocolate the same thing?
A. Yes, though the amount of cacao may vary from product to product. Bittersweet chocolate must have a minimum of 35 percent cacao. It is also called semisweet chocolate.
Q. Is the amount of cacao important to a recipe?
A. Yes. More or less cacao can impact the texture so some desserts.
Q. Are there other days that celebrate bittersweet chocolate?
A. Yes. National Dark Chocolate Day is on February 1st.
January 10th Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) History
1776
Publisher Robert Bell makes the first copies of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense available for sale to the public. The 47-page pamphlet set in writing the reasons the Thirteen Colonies should become independent from the British Crown. Within days Bell issued a second printing with more than 100,000 sold that year. On July 4th, delegates ratified the Declaration of Independence.
1878
Senator A.A. Sargent (R-CA) introduces a resolution to the U.S. Senate to amend the Constitution providing women suffrage.
1947
After three years of research, Drs. Hubert Loring and Carlton Schwerdt from Stanford University announce the first successful isolation of the poliovirus. The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis funded the breakthrough research that eventually led to the first successful polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk.
1999
HBO aired the first episode of the television drama The Sopranos. Created by David Chase, the show ran for six seasons and starred James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, and Edie Falco.
January 10th Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) Birthdays
Katharine Burr Blodgett – 1898
After becoming the first woman to earn her Ph.D. in physics from Cambridge University, Blodgett also became the first female scientist hired by General Electric. During her successful career, Blodgett developed an antireflective coating or “invisible” glass used for optical equipment.
Max Roach – 1924
The legendary jazz drummer and one of the pioneers of bebop continues to have an immense impact on musicians of the modern era. Roach’s contributions extended beyond jazz into the world of theater, activism, and culture.
George Foreman – 1949
The professional heavyweight boxer won two world championships and the 1968 Olympic gold medal in Mexico City.
Chocolate Ping!........................
I love dark chocolate, but most people I know hate it. This works to my advantage when someone at home or work has a bag of mixed chocolates and is looking to get rid of the dark chocolates, they always give them to me.
My wife hates them as well.
GOOD!
More for me!.................
I’ve always preferred dark chocolate too. When I was a kid I’d get in trouble for snitching Mom’s baking chocolate.
Today I wll swap out the bluberries for dark chocolate in my pancakes.
Problem solved!
Praise Biden? The weekly chocolate ration has been increased from 30 to 20 grams! Hallelujah!
The term Dark Chocolate was termed racist
“I’ve always preferred dark chocolate too. When I was a kid I’d get in trouble for snitching Mom’s baking chocolate.”
______________________________
LOL
My mom would make German Chocolate cake from scratch using the bittersweet chocolate and would come ask me when I last raided the pantry for it.
I thought I was the only kid doing that with the bittersweet chocolate!
I wasn’t even the only kid in my family doing that.
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