Celebrating World Chocolate Day at the top-ranked chocolate shop in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It’s World Chocolate Day, and it’s giving chocolate lovers another reason to experience the treat that flavor has taken the world by storm for centuries.

From ancient civilizations to modern-day times, chocolate has been a game-changer as it made its rounds about the world.

Rich in history, its origin is in South America. According to the World Cocoa Foundation, the Aztecs the Mayans, and other indigenous populations first discovered the cacao plants.

They cultivated chocolate from the cacao plants and fermented, roasted, and grounded cocoa beans into a paste and mixed them with other spices and ingredients to make a hot brew shared during religious ceremonies and used at feasts.

The cocoa bean was so significant that it was used as currency in trade. Spain eventually discovered its value and chocolate eventually gained popularity in Europe by the 1500s. Today, over 4.5 million tons of cocoa beans are consumed annually around the globe, in everything from drinks to candy bars.

Hoosiers who want to treat themselves can explore the SoChatti shop to ignite their sweet tooth and experience gourmet non-dairy chocolate in its purest state. Its main ingredients are cocoa beans, cocoa butter, and organic sugar cane.

SoChatti is ranked the best chocolate factory in Indianapolis by Yelp.

SoChatti’s taste room is open Wednesday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Folks can sample a flight of chocolate for $7. Guests also have the option of enjoying wine paired with chocolate during a “Chocolate and Wine” class, which includes a tour of the factory. Kids are also welcome to enjoy special kids-only chocolate classes.