National Chocolate Mint Day
Enjoy some mint chocolate on #NationalChocolateMintDay
Recognised by the National Confectioners Association, National Chocolate Mint Day is observed annually on 19 February.
This holiday has been set aside to allow all chocolate mint lovers to enjoy their favourite treats all day long.
The Aztecs and Mayans are given much credit for their ways with chocolate, but although chocolate was brought back to the Europeans, they did not like the bitter taste of the dark bean, and used it for medicinal purposes.
Chocolate was mostly consumed as a beverage, with the Europeans mixing in mint, cinnamon and other spices to make it more palatable. As time went by, sugar was also added and the combination of chocolate and mint became fashionable.
Even though inventions and improvements to the processes in the mid-1800s made mass production of chocolates possible for confectioners, small candy shops only served the local public. Advertisements for mint chocolates – or chocolate mints –did not appear in newspapers until the turn of the century.
One of the earliest mass producers of chocolate mints was Huyler’s in New York , which had a chain of stores across the country.
The Girl Scout cookies – Thin Mint – were first sold in 1953 and are still their most popular one.
Today, mint chocolate can be found in almost everything, from ice cream to brownies, cookies and candies, liquors and sauces. The International Dairy Foods Association states that mint chocolate chip is the 10th most popular flavour of ice cream.
Mint chocolate is also the name of a herb with edible leaves that taste like chocolate and mint.
To celebrate today, go online, or search in recipe books and make some delicious chocolate mint treats. Some recipes you can search for include layered mint chocolate fudge, chocolate mint brownies, mint chocolate chip cookies and chocolate mint pie. For the thirsty ones among us, you can also make a chocolate mint martini.
A perfect way to celebrate National Chocolate Mint Day is to make some mint icing for chocolate cake, invite your friends and family over, and enjoy a slice with a cup of coffee.
Watch this video for a delicious recipe:
Use #NationalChocolateMintDay to post on social media.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
