Cacao is nothing short of a magical bean with over 600 flavor profiles, once used by the Aztecs as currency, and currently used by Hershey’s chocolate to produce 700 million Kisses a day.  It’s no wonder ancient civilizations believed it was a crop bestowed by the god of wisdom (and that’s before sugar was added to the equation in the 1600’s!).

Milton S. Hershey began mass chocolate production in the late 1800’s, and introduced chocolate bars and the Kiss (named for the sound it makes coming out of the machine!) in 1900.  Today, American’s buy more than 58 million pounds of chocolate on Valentine’s Day, and consume 1.4 billion dollars’ worth of coco annually.  And did you know, that consuming chocolate has been shown to release positive mental endorphins, and merely catching a scent in the air can trigger relaxation and attentiveness?

As with everything, moderation is key, and with chocolate, the darker, the better.  The higher the cacao percentage, the darker the chocolate, and therefore more of the good antioxidants and less of the sugar and fats.  So, whether you enjoy your chocolate in a bar, a truffle, or a mug, give your brain a boost and your heart a little love on National Chocolate Day!