Types of Chocolate

Have you wonder how many types of Chocolate there is? Chocolate as we know contains alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have some physiological effects in humans. Identify the uniqueness of these chocolate.

Sweet Chocolate

• Combining chocolate with sugar

 

Milk Chocolate

• Contains milk powder or condensed milk

• Must contain at least 10% chocolate liquor (in the United States), 3.39% butterfat, and 12% milk solids.

• Much sweeter than dark chocolate, and have a lighter color and a less pronounced chocolate taste.

• More difficult to temper properly and more prone to overheating

 

White Chocolate

• Contains cocoa butter, sugar and milk solid

• Does not contain any cocoa solid, chocolate liquor or any other cocoa products

• Commonly tastes like vanilla or other added flavorings

• By law, white chocolate must contain a minimum 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk solids, and a maximum of 55% sugar

• Many countries do not consider white chocolate as chocolate because it does not contain any cocoa solids which mean it does not contain any theobromine and it can be consumed by animals

 

Dark Chocolate

• Produced by adding fat and sugar to the cacao mixture, does not contain milk solids which made it more pronounced chocolate taste

• Requires a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor

• European rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids

• Promoted for its health benefit

• The cocoa content of commercial dark chocolate bars can range from 30% (sweet dark) to 70- 80% for extremely dark bars.

• Bittersweet chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate also fall into the “dark chocolate” category

• More prone to a dry, chalky texture and a bitter aftertaste

 

Semisweet Chocolate

• Dark Chocolate with low sugar content

• Contains at least 35% cocoa solids, and is generally assumed to be darker than sweet dark chocolate, but sweeter than bittersweet.

• Not consistent across brands

 

Bittersweet Chocolate

• Chocolate liquor to which a third of sugar, more cocoa butter, vanilla and sometime lecithin have been added

• Contains at least 35% cocoa solids, at least 50% chocolate liquor, with some bars pushing 70-80% chocolate liquor

• Often has a deeper, bitterer flavor than sweet dark or semi-sweet bars

• Have less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate

 

Unsweetened chocolate

• Pure chocolate liquor, also known as bitter or baking chocolate

• Look and smell like chocolate but it have a bitter taste

• Best used in cooking, when it can be combined with sugar to make it more palatable

• Because cocoa beans contain equal amounts of cocoa butter and cocoa solids, unsweetened chocolate lends a deep, rich chocolate flavor to baked goods. Unsweetened chocolate is the base ingredient in all other forms of chocolate, except white chocolate.

• Unadulterated chocolate: the pure, ground, roasted chocolate beans impart a strong, deep chocolate flavor.