It’s a Chocolate Thing
No matter where we live, it seems we cannot have enough chocolate. Surprisingly, although we Americans think we’re the world champs when it comes to chocolate, we are far from it.
Okay, we do consume about 20% of the world’s chocolate. But the Europeans are even more decadent, chomping down on nearly double what the United States eats. Worldwide the consumption is estimated at 7.2 million metric tons. Fortunately, chocolate is not high in caffeine. A 1 oz. bar of milk chocolate contains only five to six milligrams of caffeine. This is significantly less than the amounts found in coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
Although it seems people are eating a lot of chocolate, they do tend to be discriminating. For example, many people prefer dark chocolate because experts purport that it is healthier than milk chocolate. It doesn’t stop there. Chocolate suppliers report that purists are also demanding their chocolate is organic, GMO-free, Kosher certified and rain forest friendly. They apparently are no longer satisfied looking just for Mr. Goodbar.
If dark chocolate is preferred, and the new trends are for healthier organic, pure dark chocolate, the other rituals associated with chocolate haven’t changed. More women prefer to eat chocolate than men do. The percentages are surprisingly close though, with the distaff side coming out on top by 91% to the guys at 87%.
Two-thirds of chocolate is consumed between meals. Well, there goes the diet. Only 22% of all chocolate is consumed between 8 p.m. and midnight.
The trick and treat season still reigns supreme in sales of the cacao product. More than 90 millions pounds of chocolate are purchased for the Halloween holiday.
Also, romance knows no holiday when it comes to purchases. Chocolate suppliers report that, on any given week, about 75% of the chocolate purchased will come from men buying it for women.
It is obvious, people around the globe like to eat chocolate, but what about drinking it? When it comes to cocoa, this becomes more of an American past time. The United States is the world leader, quaffing down nearly 21% of the stuff.
Oddly enough, though, the cocoa quaffing has not risen considerably in recent years. Instead, the trend now is more upscale with the dark chocolate, organic, kosher, non-GMO crowd embracing chocolate and coffee pairing rather than just plain cocoa.
Chocolate suppliers and wholesale professionals report record sales in purchases and events featuring these pairings.
So it goes.
Whatever your tastes, whether a simple mocha in the mouth, an Ethiopian pea berry paired with a Belgian white chocolate, or a Snickers with cocoa, it’s all a chocolate thing.
