National Chocolate Caramel Day occurs on March 19 and is an enjoyable occasion to indulge in sweet treats. The irresistible combination of chocolate and caramel always impresses those with a sweet appetite, from cookies to brownies to ice creams and milkshakes. Although chocolate has existed since antiquity, caramel was not created until European settlers immigrated to the New World. The clever confectioner combined the two flavors to create a delectable chocolate caramel candy.
The background of National Chocolate Caramel Day
Chocolate has a long history and was extensively used throughout pre-Columbian America, as the ancient Central Americans developed a thriving culture and cultivated various crops. Through contact with European explorers, chocolate eventually reached Europe and the rest of the globe. In the latter decades of the 17th century, the earliest European settlers began making chocolates at home. Earlier versions of these delicacies were created using only water and sugar derived from beet juice. After fat and milk were added, the texture of the caramel became rich and velvety. Thus, the invention of chocolate caramel appears to have been an event awaiting the meeting of cultures on opposite sides of the Atlantic.
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It was only a matter of time before a brilliant mind conceived the concept of combining the two. This fortunate individual was Milton Hershey. Today, “Hershey’s” is synonymous with high-quality chocolate products, but few are familiar with the company’s founder, who made chocolate caramel renowned across the United States.
During the 1800s, when all major American confectionery manufacturers produced traditional hard candies, Milton Hershey’s Lancaster Caramel Company was one of the few companies that specialized in chocolate-covered caramels. In 1893, however, these chocolate-covered caramels gained widespread popularity. Hershey was so profoundly influenced by the German chocolate bar-making machinery that he adopted the same technology and began mass-producing caramel-covered chocolates.