Chocolate Ingredients, learning how chocolate is made

It would be great if making chocolate was as easy as making bread. Unfortunately with chocolate ingredients it has to be exact to ensure the best tasting chocolate

I’m sure you have heard one or two people say “No, I don’t like Chocolate.” My reaction is usually one of shock, how can anyone not like chocolate. “No, I just don’t like the taste”, Well, all I can do is laugh.

Have you ever wondered how a chocolate bar landed up on the shelf of your local supermarket and the process it went through to get there. Once upon a time the block you were about to put in your mouth or melt in your kitchen was growing in a cocoa plantation somewhere in South America. Transformation is an incredible thing.

The range of chocolate is endless, both for cooking and eating. New flavors of chocolate are being invented all the time. When buying plain or milk chocolate, always stick to the general rule that the higher the proportion of cocoa solids in the chocolate, the richer it will be. Chocolate chip ingredients are usually not as luxurious and used for baking.

Chocolate bar ingredients come in different forms depending on the type of chocolate. It is a good idea to check the chocolate ingredients label because that is the only way you are going to find out what you are looking for.

Dark Plain Chocolate

This chocolate contains 80% or more cocoa solids and is great for savory recipes as well. It contains less sugar. Sweeter Dark Chocolate contains 60 – 70% cocoa solids. Pastry Chefs use this Chocolate quite a lot You can also get Dark Plain Chocolate with 30 – 40% cocoa solids, which are less expensive and can be used in baking. Of all the different types of Chocolates Dark Chocolate is the best for you, but that doesn’t mean to say you must eat Chocolate everyday now!

Milk Chocolate

Milk Chocolate is much sweeter than Dark Chocolate and there is extra milk and sugar added. There are sometimes also flavourings like vanilla added. A lot of people prefer this to Dark Chocolate, saying it is bitter, but not all Dark Chocolate is bitter. A chocolatier would never work with Milk Chocolate because of the melting properties. It contains 20 – 30% cocoa solids, but Dark Chocolate is the preferred choice for melting and Milk Chocolate is preferred more as an eating chocolate, definitely a moreish chocolate, depending on the flavourings, fillings and what your preference is.

White Chocolate

This is my favourite Chocolate. Cappuccino is great with a block of White Chocolate on the side. White Chocolate is made purely with cocoa butter. There are no solids in White Chocolate. Cocoa butter is fat that is extracted from the cocoa bean during the processing stage. White Chocolate contains the most milk, a lot of sugar and much flavouring. Some White Chocolate you will find is better quality than others so you just have to shop around

Cocoa Powder

Cocoa Powder has a strong, bitter flavour. You need to add extra sugar to this product. This is great to enhance the choclatey flavour in your baking. Always use the genuine cocoa powder. Sometimes you will find imitations being sold in the supermarket and they are flavoured with vegetable oils which don’t have a great taste.

Finally, it might be an idea to test different quality chocolates. Put a couple in front of you just as if you were tasting wine. Don’t swallow immediately, but swirl it around in your mouth, tasting different chocolate ingredients. You should be able to taste whether one has more vegetable oil, butter or cocoa solids.