World Chocolate Day — Yes, Please. 🍫

If there’s one thing I don’t feel guilty keeping in the house, it’s chocolate. We almost always have semi-sweet chips in the pantry and a bar of dark chocolate tucked away for a quiet moment.

And on World Chocolate Day, you don’t need an excuse — just grab a square and enjoy it.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the chocolate lineup:

Cocoa Beans

• Milk Chocolate: Sweet, creamy, and smooth, milk chocolate is made with milk solids and has more sugar and less cocoa. Think candy bars, chocolate chips, and all things classic.

• Dark Chocolate: Bold and rich. Dark chocolate has a higher cocoa content (typically 50% or more), less sugar, and little to no milk. It’s our go-to at home because of the flavor and the health perks.

• White Chocolate: Made with cocoa butter but no cocoa solids. Technically, it’s not really chocolate. It’s sweet, buttery, and smooth, more of a dessert topping than a chocolate fix for me.

If you need a reason to choose dark chocolate, here are a few:

• It’s loaded with antioxidants like flavonoids, which help fight inflammation.

• It may support heart health by improving circulation and lowering blood pressure.

• It can give your brain a tiny boost thanks to natural stimulants like theobromine and a bit of caffeine.

• It may help lift your mood, there’s some real chemistry behind that happy feeling after a bite.

Bottom line:

Chocolate isn’t just a treat. It’s tradition, comfort, science, and just plain good. What’s your favorite way to enjoy it?

#WorldChocolateDay #ChocolateLovers #DarkChocolateWins #GeoLivityEats #CelebrateTheLittleThings #RealLifeFavorites

🍫 1. Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Website: https://www.ghirardelli.com

Overview: One of America’s oldest chocolate companies, known for its rich squares, premium baking chocolate, and iconic San Francisco roots.

🍫 2. Godiva Chocolatier

Website: https://www.godiva.com

Overview: Belgian luxury chocolatier famous for truffles, gift boxes, and chocolate-dipped treats with a silky finish.

🍫 3. Dandelion Chocolate (Artisan)

Website: https://www.dandelionchocolate.com

Overview: San Francisco-based bean-to-bar chocolatier focused on single-origin small batch chocolate with transparency in sourcing.

🍫 4. Theo Chocolate (Organic / Fair Trade)

Website: https://www.theochocolate.com

Overview: Seattle-based company known for fair trade, organic ingredients and unique flavor blends (like sea salt or ghost pepper).

🍫 5. Compartés Chocolatier (Modern & Artistic)

Website: https://www.compartes.com

Overview: LA-based chocolatier with beautifully designed bars and bold flavors like doughnut, cereal milk, and birthday cake.

More Local for the Southeast United States:

🍫 1. Xocolatl Small Batch Chocolate — Atlanta, Georgia

Website: https://xocolatlchocolate.com

Overview: Located in Atlanta’s Krog Street Market, they specialize in small-batch, single-origin, dark chocolate bars with minimal ingredients and ethical sourcing.

🍫 2. Condor Chocolates — Athens, Georgia

Website: https://www.condorchocolates.com

Overview: A bean-to-bar chocolatier with Ecuadorian roots, offering truffles, sipping chocolate, chocolate-covered espresso beans, and beautiful bars.

🍫 3. French Broad Chocolates — Asheville, North Carolina

Website: https://www.frenchbroadchocolates.com

Overview: A celebrated Southern chocolatier known for artisan truffles, caramels, and responsibly sourced chocolate bars. Their chocolate lounge in Asheville is a destination.

🍫 4. Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co. — Nashville, Tennessee

Website: https://www.oliveandsinclair.com

Overview: Tennessee’s first bean-to-bar chocolate maker, blending Southern flavors like bourbon, buttermilk, and sea salt into slow-roasted cacao bars.