It’s World Chocolate Day and chocolate lovers around the world are satisfying their sweet tooth by indulging in decadent chocolate bars, cookies, cakes and desserts. 

Chocolate derives from cacao plants, which were first found in ancient Mesoamerica (present-day Mexico) more than 4,000 years ago, Newsweek noted. The Olmec civilization in Latin America was the first to turn cacao into chocolate. The Olmecs reportedly drank liquid chocolate (free of sugar) during rituals and used it for medicinal purposes.

Chocolate derives from cacao plants, which were first found in ancient Mesoamerica (present-day Mexico) more than 4,000 years ago. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)

Centuries later, the Mayans and Aztecs deemed liquid chocolate to be a magical brew and both civilizations drank it during birth, marriage and death rituals. The Aztecs believed the god Quetzalcoatl gifted them with chocolate and they created an herby chocolate-based concoction called “xocolatl” (which translators to “bitter water”) that they drank in preparation for war and used as an aphrodisiac. 

Chocolate reached Europe in the 16th century and was initially used as a medicine before people started adding sugar to it to tame the bitterness. It was the preferred drink of Europe’s wealthy elite before it became more accessible when Dutch chemist Coenraad van Houten invented a “cocoa press” in 1828 that turned the roasted cocoa beans into powder. The 19th-century industrial revolution allowed chocolate to be mass-produced and more affordable to the masses, who used cocoa powder to make chocolate milk. 

British chocolatier J.S. Fry & Sons was the first to create the dark chocolate bar in 1847 by combining cocoa butter and chocolate liquor with sugar. Nearly 30 years later, in 1875, Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter and businessman Henri Nestlé added milk to the mixture to create milk chocolate. The rest, as they say, is history. 

The culinary invention is well-loved worldwide for its taste and versatility. When eaten in moderation in its pure form, dark chocolate can be a good source of nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, iron, phosphorus, and copper, according to WebMD. Raw dark chocolate that has been minimally processed is healthier than milk chocolate and white chocolate. 

Americans reportedly spend more than $7 billion a year on chocolate and most prefer milk chocolate. World Chocolate Day dates to 2009, when chocolate lovers decided to pay special tribute to the popular treat. 

Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Chocolate bars move down the production line. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

In honor of World Chocolate Day on July 7, below is a list of some of the best chocolate shops in every state and Canada, via Yelp:

Alaska (Anchorage): Alaska Wild Berry ProductsAlabama (Gulf Shores): Chocolate Corner & Ice CreamArkansas (Bentonville): Markham & FitzArizona (Scottsdale): Zak’s ChocolateCalifornia (Idyllwild): El Buen CacaoColorado (Denver): Stargazer Fine Chocolates and CoffeeConnecticut (Goshen): Thorncrest Farm & Milk House Chocolates DC (Washington): The Chocolate HouseDelaware (Rehoboth Beach): Snyder’s CandyFlorida (Lauderdale by the Sea): Jan’s Homemade CandiesGeorgia (Atlanta): Xocolatl Small Batch ChocolateHawaii (Naalehu): Paradise Meadows, South Point RoadIowa (Ames): Chocolaterie Stam – AmesIdaho (Boise): The Chocolat BarIllinois (Chicago): Chocolat UzmaIndiana (Indianapolis): SoChatti Kansas (Wichita): Cocoa Dolce Artisan ChocolatesKentucky (Louisville): Art EatablesLouisiana (New Orleans): Southern CandymakersMassachusetts (Jamaica Plain): cacaoMaryland (Baltimore): Pure Chocolate By JinjiMaine (Lubec): Monica’s Chocolates Michigan (Grand Rapids): MokayaMinnesota (Saint Paul): Legacy Chocolates Missouri (Kansas City): Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates Mississippi (Jackson): Nandy’s CandyMontana (Bozeman): La Châtelaine Chocolat Co.Nebraska (Lincoln): The Chocolate SeasonNevada (Gardnerville): Chocolate ShoppeNew Hampshire (Manchester): Dancing Lion ChocolateNew Jersey (Merchantville): Aunt Charlotte”s Candies & Gifts New Mexico (Taos): ChokolàNew York (New York): Confectionery (particularly the Harlem Chocolate Factory) North Carolina (Raleigh): Escazú ChocolatesNorth Dakota (Fargo): Sweet Dreams Confections Ohio (Grandview Heights): Pure Imagination ChocolatierOklahoma (Norman): Apple Tree ChocolateOregon (Portland): JinJu PatisseriePennsylvania (Hellertown): Dolce PatisserieRhode Island (Warwick): Trinity ConfectionsSouth Carolina (Charleston): Christophe Artisan Chocolatier-Patissier South Dakota (Deadwood): Chubby Chipmunk Hand-Dipped ChocolatesTennessee (Chattanooga): The Hot ChocolatierTexas (San Antonio): Delice Chocolatier & PatisserieUtah (Springdale): Springdale Candy Company Vermont (Stowe): Laughing Moon ChocolatesVirginia (Alexandria): Fleurir Hand Grown ChocolatesWashington (Seattle): Intrigue ChocolateWest Virginia (Vienna): Holl’s ChocolateWisconsin (Milwaukee): Indulgence Chocolatiers

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