Department of Health and Social Services Library

Mental Health Monday: National Cocoa Day

National Cocoa Day

In honor of National Cocoa Day, take a moment of self-care
to enjoy a nice warm cup of hot cocoa!

Not only is hot cocoa a great drink for a cold day, it can be a good performance booster for your brain! Hot chocolate and tea, drinks enriched with antioxidants and flavanol, can improve blood flow to the brain, which has found to benefit memory, processing speed, attention, and overall performance (British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology).

Cocoa is also a relatively easy drink to make and customize! 
Traditionally, whole milk gives it that rich flavor but it is just as acceptable
to substitute with almond or oat milk!
For a healthy or vegan option to hot cocoa, add natural sugars like maple syrup or peppermint to add some sweetness to your hot chocolate.

Hot Chocolate Recipes from Around the World (Worldstrides)

History of Hot Chocolate (Delishably)

Hot Chocolate Variations Around the World (Spoon University)

DHSS LIBRARY RECOMMENDS:

The Secrets of Chocolate by Franckie Alarcon

ISBN: 9781681122786

Publication Date: 2021-06-15

Following Jacques Genin for a year, Franckie Alarcon hobnobbed with one of the biggest chefs of chocolate. Former chef and pastry chef for prestigious restaurants, this super-talented autodidact shares all his passion and knowledge of chocolate and his process for creating recipes. In this docu-comic, we travel with the starry-eyed author, satisfying many a craving from the chef's amazing atelier above his store, trying his hand as an assistant, all the way to the Peruvian cocoa plantations where the chef shows how he carefully chooses his beans, starting from scratch.