Chocolate is one of those sweet treats that are so prevalent in our everyday lives it's almost a staple. However, we've realised that there's a lot of lesser-known facts about promotional chocolates that perhaps you might not be aware of, so we've put together a fun little list on factoids that will make you a bonafide chocolate expert!

Interesting Facts about Promotional Chocolate

Chocolate is everyone's favourite choice for custom conference confectionery. Ranging from small bite-sized pieces right through to huge promotional blocks, chocolate is undoubtedly one of the most popular branded food item we produce. Here are ten interesting facts about this tasty treat you might not already know;

10) J.S. Fry & Sons Invented Solid Chocolate Bars

While these days "Fry & Sons" isn't a brand we're likely to recall, back in 1919 this business merged interests with the Cadbury company to become part of the Cadbury chocolate empire we know today. The original Fry & Sons had been around since the late 1700's in England and were known for producing solid chocolate treat bars with logo-branded wrappings. Many years later and people all over the world buy the Cadbury version of this same solid confection.

9) The Original Chocolate Treat Was Hot Chocolate

Cacao seeds were a long time resource of the ancient Aztec and Mexican peoples. One way in which they would enjoy the strong, somewhat acrid flavour of their native cacao crop was to steep the seeds to brew a minimalist form of hot chocolate. These hot chocolate mixes were considered sacred and only used for special occasions -- remember that next time you jog past a coffee shop and grab a quick hot choccie!

8) Cacao Was Also Once a Form of Currency

That's right; the Aztecs didn't just use cacao as an important spiritual staple, it was also used as a form of currency during peak years of wealth in the Aztec empire. Given the modern demand for chocolate, this shouldn't come as a surprise -- everyone wanted a piece, even then!

7) Most Modern Chocolate Comes From Africa

Although cacao originated in Central and Southern America, in the past 20 years African nations have grown to become some of the largest chocolate producers in the world. Western African, in particular, is known for its large crops of cocoa, making up some two-thirds of the entire cocoa harvest in the world (although the prohibitive cost means locals can't tend to buy the fruits of their labour).

6) Wait... Is it Cocoa or Cacao?

Actually, you can use either, they both describe the same crop. Cacao is the original term coined by the native Olmecs, but cocoa became more commonplace after the Spanish invaded the region and began adapting local terms.

5) Milk Chocolate Came from Switzerland

Before Daniel Peter perfected his recipe for milk chocolate in the late 1800's, all other chocolates before this was a form of dark chocolate. Peter was seeking a less bitter option and after a lot of trial and error found blending unsweetened chocolate with condensed milk created a wonderful milky treat. These days milk chocolate is the preference of the masses and is found in lots of promotional snacks.

4) Cacao Pods are Harvested Using Machetes!

That's right, to get the sizable cacao pods off the tree, farm staff will often use machetes to hack them from a branch or sometimes a stick to hit them away. This violent form of removal doesn't impact the beans, which are still snug inside their pods until processing.

3) Wait, Cacao Bean? Does That Mean Chocolate is a Vegetable?

Yes, in a way, The cacao bean comes from a tree known as Theobroma cacao. Not unlike our regular green beans, the cacao beans are housed in a pod on the tree until harvesting. So yes, the cacao bean is a veggie -- but that doesn't mean you can claim a bag of M&M's like a healthy snack!

2) White Chocolate Isn't Even Really Chocolate

That's right because white chocolate doesn't contain chocolate liquor or cocoa solids (elements crucial in both milk and dark chocolate) it isn't chocolate. However, white chocolate does contain elements of cocoa butter, along with milk and sugar -- so it's not entirely without parts of the cocoa bean!

1) The Most Popular Promotional Chocolates from Cubic Promote

We sell a lot of different logo branded chocolate products, from traditional chocolate bars to customised Easter eggs, but overwhelmingly the most popular chocolate product we sell is bulk M&M's by the Mars Corporation. This owes in part to how easy they are to hand out at an event in individual bags, and how easy they are to eat when you're on the move.

Facts first spotted here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/57507/20-things-you-never-knew-about-chocolate