Various Kinds of Chocolate

Various Kinds of Chocolate

A variety of chocolates can be produced depending upon what is added to the chocolate liquor, also known as liquefied cocoa butter. Depending upon what flavors have been added, every chocolate acquires a distinct make-up. Some chocolate flavours are also obtained by varying the time and temperature during roasting of the beans.It helps to learn that different chocolates react differently to heat and moisture. You must follow the storing instructions on the chocolate cover to keep your chocolates fresh and crisp?.just the way they are meant to be.

Unsweetened chocolate

It is also known as baking chocolate. Unsweetened chocolate contains chocolate liquor in its purest form. The mixture has a strong and rich chocolaty flavour. It is generally used in recipes for cakes, brownies, confections and cookies.

Dark Chocolate

Some chocolate lover?s favorite, the dark chocolate does not use milk in its processing. It is also known as bitter chocolate and usually has a concentration of 15-35 per cent of chocolate liquor

Milk chocolate

Milk chocolate uses milk powder or condensed milk. The chocolate liquor is mixed with cocoa butter, milk, sugar and vanilla. It is the most popular eating chocolate.

Semisweet Chocolate

Semisweet chocolate is mostly used in preparations and recipes. It contains chocolate liquor, extra cocoa butter and sugar. Sweet cooking chocolate is alike with a difference of more quantity of sugar.

Bittersweet Chocolate

Bittersweet chocolate is prepared using chocolate liquor, sugar, extra cocoa butter, lecithin and vanilla. It has more liquor than semisweet chocolate and is less sweet. The best quality bittersweet and semisweet chocolates are produced as couverture. One golden rule for bittersweet chocolate is that higher the percentage of cocoa, less sweet the chocolate will be.

Couverture

Couverture is a popular term that has been used for chocolates that have generous proportions of cocoa butter that can go as high as 70 per cent. The fat contents are comparitively much lower.

White chocolate is a confection using cocoa butter without the cocoa solids.

Cocoa powder

You will find two distinct types of unsweetend baking cocoa?natural and Dutch-processed cocoa. The process is called pulverisation. Semi-defatened chocolate liquor is pulverised to remove cocoa butter. The difference lies in the color. While natural cocoa is light with an acidic strong chocolaty flavor that is crude and hits the taste buds. The Dutch cocoa is much milder with a rich colour. Dutch-process cocoa is used for producing chocolate drinks like hot chocolate as it is much easier to blend with fluids.

Nowadays, chocolates come in a variety of flavors and ingredients like almonds, nuts, peanet and caramel adding to the rich unforgettable taste of crunchy chocolate. Chocolates carry so much more than flavor?.they carry a history marked with discovery, secrecy, trading and the undying craze. No wonder, chocolates still rule palates and are considered the best gift for one and all.