A recent report by Food from Britain shows that the the Irish people have the highest per capita consumption of chocolate globally. Around 24.7 pounds (11.2kg) of chocolate are devoured every year per capita in Ireland.

According to reports, the Irish chocolate market is valued at a staggering $677 million dollars, and places such as Lily O'Briens and Butlers Chocolate Café are reaping some major benefits. Chocolate manufacturers like Nestle, Cadbury, and Rowntree have to be thankful to the Irish chocoholics, as well. The latter should be particularly thankful as they are celebrating their 150^th birthday.

Currently, Ireland is Britain’s largest export market for chocolate. Sweet treats that aid in the thriving of business include the British-made Kit-Kat bars.

Let me shed some light on you about Kit-Kat. It was released in the south-east of England and London in September of 1935 as Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp, and was given a new name two years after. It was renamed Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp. And then it was renamed yet again after World War II. It became Kit Kat, a name which makes a lot of chocoholics drool.

"Kit Kat" or "Kit Cat" as a name for a type of food can be traced back to the 18th century, the time when mutton pies named kit-kats were seen at meetings of the literary and political Kit-Cat Club in London.

The Kit-Cat Club derived its name from Christopher Catling, whose first name was shortened to Kit and surname to Cat. He was said to be the keeper of a certain pie-house situated in London's Temple Bar area, in which the said club first met.

Two years after the release, Kit Kat became the bestseller of Rowntree's, and still holds true up to this very day. It was known to be "what active people need" during the World War II.

Presently, it's now produced globally by Nestlé, which acquired Rowntree in the year 1988. However, in America, it's been manufactured ever since 1969 under license by the Hershey Company.

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Joanna Maligaya

Staff Writer/Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

Ever since she can remember, Joanna has always considered chocolate as the ultimate food for her soul. She believes in the saying, “9 out of 10 people love chocolate, and the 10th always lies.”

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