Everything tastes better dipped in chocolate. It sounds like a tired marketing cliché, but honestly, there’s actual science behind why your brain lights up when you see a strip of bacon or a dried apricot glistening under a coat of tempered dark chocolate. National Chocolate Covered Anything Day, celebrated every December 16th, isn't just some made-up "hallmark holiday" for candy companies—though they certainly don't mind the sales boost. It’s a full-blown cultural permission slip to experiment with flavor profiles that shouldn’t work but somehow do.
Chocolate is a chemical powerhouse. It contains theobromine and small amounts of caffeine, but the real magic is the fat-to-sugar ratio that triggers a massive dopamine release in the human brain. When you combine that with the saltiness of a pretzel or the acidity of a pineapple chunk, you're hitting every taste receptor at once. It’s sensory overload in the best way possible.
What is National Chocolate Covered Anything Day anyway?
Most people assume these food holidays are centuries old. They aren’t. National Chocolate Covered Anything Day is a relatively modern invention, likely birthed from the same internet-driven enthusiasm that gave us National Pizza Day or Talk Like a Pirate Day. But unlike some of the more obscure ones, this one has real legs because the "anything" part of the title is a literal challenge.
There are no rules here. Want to dip a pickle? Go for it. People actually do. Want to drench a piece of beef jerky? It’s surprisingly popular in artisanal jerky circles. The day serves as a peak-season event right in the middle of the December holiday rush, making it a prime time for DIY gifting and kitchen experiments that probably wouldn't happen in July.
The Chemistry of the Dip
You can't just melt a Hershey bar in the microwave and call it a day. Well, you can, but it’ll look gray and feel grainy. Professional chocolatiers like Jacques Torres or the late, great Milton Hershey understood that tempering is the "secret sauce" of the industry.
Tempering is the process of heating and cooling chocolate to align the cocoa butter crystals. If you do it right, you get that satisfying snap when you bite into a chocolate-covered strawberry. If you do it wrong, the chocolate stays soft, streaks with white "bloom," and sticks to your fingers. It’s basically physics masquerading as dessert.
Specifically, you're aiming for Type V crystals. These are the stable ones. Most home cooks skip this and end up with a mess. If you’re serious about National Chocolate Covered Anything Day, you need a thermometer. Bring your dark chocolate up to 115°F, cool it to 82°F by adding "seed" chocolate (unmelted chunks), and then bring it back up to 90°F. It’s a finicky process. It’s also the difference between a grocery store knock-off and a gourmet treat.
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The Weird, the Wild, and the Actually Delicious
People get weird on December 16th. It's the whole point. We've seen a massive surge in "savory-sweet" trends over the last decade. Take the chocolate-covered onion. It sounds like a prank—and often is—but if you use a sweet Vidalia onion and high-quality dark chocolate, the sulfurous bite of the onion mellows out into something strangely reminiscent of a chestnut.
Then there’s the chocolate-covered squid. Popular in certain parts of East Asia and occasionally found as a novelty in coastal US candy shops, the saltiness of the dried squid provides a massive contrast to the sugar.
- Bacon: The gateway drug of weird chocolate pairings. The smoke and salt are perfect.
- Jalapeños: Capsaicin (the heat) and chocolate are a historic match, dating back to the Aztecs who drank their cacao spicy.
- Potato Chips: Specifically the ruff-cut ones. They hold the weight of the chocolate better.
- Cheetos: Don't knock it until you've tried the Flamin' Hot variety dipped in milk chocolate. The corn meal texture actually works.
Why Our Brains Crave the Contrast
Psychologists often point to "sensory-specific satiety." Basically, your taste buds get bored if they eat too much of one thing. If you eat a pound of plain chocolate, you’ll eventually feel a bit sick of it. But if you add salt, acid, or crunch? You’ve reset the clock. This is why you can finish an entire bag of chocolate-covered pretzels without realizing it.
The crunch factor is huge. Our brains associate "crunch" with freshness. Think about a chocolate-covered espresso bean. You get the bitterness of the coffee, the sweetness of the coating, and the structural collapse of the bean. It’s a trifecta of oral sensations.
The Ethics of Your Cocoa
We have to talk about where this stuff comes from. It’s not all sprinkles and joy. The chocolate industry has a dark history involving labor exploitation in West Africa, specifically in Ivory Coast and Ghana, where the majority of the world's cacao is grown.
When you're celebrating National Chocolate Covered Anything Day, the brand you choose matters. Look for certifications like Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance, but be aware that even those aren't perfect. Small-batch, "bean-to-bar" makers often have the most transparent supply chains. Companies like Taza or Dandelion Chocolate can tell you exactly which farm their beans came from. It costs more. A lot more. But the flavor profile—notes of tobacco, cherry, or earth—is infinitely deeper than the flat, vanilla-heavy taste of mass-produced bars.
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Tips for the Home Experimenter
So, you’ve decided to celebrate. You have a bowl of melted chocolate and a kitchen counter full of random snacks. Stop.
First, make sure whatever you’re dipping is dry. Water is the enemy of chocolate. A single drop of water can cause a whole bowl of melted chocolate to "seize," turning it into a gritty, clumpy sludge that can’t be saved. This is especially true for fruit. Wash your strawberries hours in advance. Pat them dry like your life depends on it.
Second, use a fork, not your fingers. Or better yet, a dedicated dipping tool. It keeps the coating even and prevents those ugly thumbprints.
Third, let it set at room temperature. Putting chocolate-covered items in the fridge causes condensation, which ruins the texture and the look. Unless it’s a 90-degree day in a kitchen with no AC, the counter is your friend.
Beyond the Sugar Rush: Health Realities
Let’s be real: dipping a Twinkie in chocolate doesn't make it a health food. However, dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher) is packed with flavonoids. These are antioxidants that help with blood flow and heart health. If you're dipping something like blueberries, walnuts, or almonds, you're actually creating a snack that has some legitimate nutritional value.
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has noted that cocoa is rich in plant chemicals called flavanols that may help protect the heart. But—and this is a big "but"—those benefits are often negated by the sheer amount of sugar and saturated fat in milk chocolate. If you want the "healthy" version of National Chocolate Covered Anything Day, stick to the dark stuff and dip nutrient-dense foods.
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The Cultural Impact of the Dip
We see this trend everywhere now. Edible Arrangements turned the chocolate-covered fruit into a multi-million dollar gift industry. Starbucks made chocolate-covered espresso beans a checkout-counter staple. It’s a testament to the versatility of cacao. It acts as a preservative, a flavor enhancer, and a luxury wrapper all at once.
In many ways, this "holiday" is a celebration of culinary curiosity. It encourages people to look at their pantry and ask "What if?" That's how we got the salted caramel craze. That's how we got mole sauce in Mexican cuisine, where chocolate is used as a savory spice rather than a candy.
Actionable Steps for Your Celebration
If you want to actually "do" National Chocolate Covered Anything Day right, don't just buy a bag of M&Ms. Try these specific steps to level up your experience:
- Host a "Dip-Off": Invite friends and have everyone bring one weird item to dip. Provide three types of chocolate: White (which isn't technically chocolate because it lacks cocoa solids), Milk, and Dark.
- Master the "Schmear": If dipping is too messy, try the "painting" technique. Use a food-grade paintbrush to apply thin layers of chocolate to delicate items like rose petals (yes, they are edible) or thin crackers.
- Try High-Quality Couverture: Don't use "candy melts" from the craft store. They are mostly vegetable oil and sugar. Buy "couverture" chocolate, which has a higher percentage of cocoa butter. It flows better and tastes like actual food.
- Experiment with Texture: After dipping, roll the item in something else before it sets. Crushed peppercorns, sea salt, or even dehydrated miso powder can add a professional layer of complexity to your snacks.
- Record Your Findings: Keep a simple list of what worked and what didn't. You’ll find that high-moisture foods (like citrus) are much harder to work with than dry foods (like nuts or dried meats).
National Chocolate Covered Anything Day is ultimately about the joy of the unexpected. It’s a day to be a little messy, a little creative, and a lot indulgent. Whether you're sticking to the classics like strawberries or pushing the boundaries with a chocolate-dipped slice of pepperoni pizza, the goal is the same: appreciating the incredible versatility of the cacao bean.
Start by picking three things in your kitchen you've never imagined with chocolate. Get a bar of high-quality 70% dark. Melt it slowly. Dip. You might be surprised at what actually tastes good once it's been given the chocolate treatment.