One of the best days of the year is coming up on Monday, October 28 — National Chocolate Day! Chocolate has a long and interesting history around the globe. Check out these facts below if you want to learn more about the world’s favorite treat, preferably while munching on a pint of chocolate ice cream. ;)

Chocolate Peanut Butter was the first flavor developed by Mammoth founder, Sue.

She was on a mission to create a delicious, healthy ice cream that was sensitive to sugar-conscious diets and lifestyles.

Chocolate was once used as a form of currency.

In Aztec and Mayan times, the Aztecs would trade cacao beans to the Mayans because they could not be grown in the dry highlands of Central Mexico. In fact, it’s said that Aztecs could purchase a turkey hen for 100 beans.

Benjamin Franklin sold chocolate in his print shop in Philadelphia.

In 1739, he was selling books, pencils, ink, writing paper, and "very good chocolate” that was produced locally.

M&M's have traveled to space over a hundred times.

They are a popular treat for astronauts to take aboard spaceships because of their size, but also as a means for entertainment in the zero-gravity chambers.

The scientific name for the tree that chocolate comes from, Theobroma cacao, means "food of the gods."

The name Theobroma cacao was first given to the tree by Carolus Linnaeus –the father of modern-day taxonomic plant classification.

Chocolate was consumed as a liquid, not a solid, for 90% of its history.

Historians estimate that chocolate has been around for about 2,000 years. But for most of that time, it was served as a bitter liquid, mixed with spices or corn puree. It was believed to be an aphrodisiac and to give the drinker strength.

The inventor of the chocolate chip cookie sold the idea to Nestle Toll House in return for a lifetime supply of chocolate.

In the 1930’s, Ruth Graves Wakefield invented the cookie by accident while making a batch of Butter Drop Do cookies, but the chocolate chips in the batter stayed intact.

The founder of Hershey’s chocolate was scheduled to sail on the Titanic.

Milton S. Hershey and his wife Catherine had a VIP ticket booked on the ill-fated voyage, but had to cancel at the last minute due to business matters.

It takes about a year for a cacoa tree to produce enough beans to make 10 chocolate bars.

Cacao trees can live to be 200 years old, but they produce usable beans for only 25 years.

Chocolate has health benefits and properties.

Dark chocolate is a powerful source of antioxidants and may improve blood flow and lower blood pressure. Because chocolate has an anti-bacterial effect on the mouth, it can help protect against tooth decay. Also, chocolate milk has been proven to actually help athletes recover faster after exercise.

Now that you’ve brushed up on your chocolate knowledge, grab a pint of keto chocolate ice cream from Mammoth Creameries and dig in! You can use our convenient location finder tool here or have it shipped directly to your door.