The flavors-of-chocolate

What makes the different flavors-of-chocolate? Explore the different flavors of chocolate. Learn their ingredients, how they are made and their culinary uses. Which is your favorite? As you learn more about chocolate and try new varieties, you may develop an acquired taste for other chocolate flavors. I did.

The flavors are dependent upon the content of cacao. The cacao content determines how sweet or intense the chocolate will be.

The individual preference for cacao content will vary from person to person. It will also vary from time to time.

The different flavors-of-chocolate.

Unsweetened Chocolate 100 percent cacao content.

Bittersweet Chocolate 5-99 percent cacao content.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate 35-40 percent cacao content.

Dark Chocolate 15-34 percent cacao content.

Milk Chocolate 10 percent unsweetened chocolate.

White Chocolate 20 percent cocoa butter.

As you can see by the above chart , each of the flavors-of-chocolate are composed of different amounts of cacao, cocoa butter, and other ingredients. As you continue to read below, I will go into more detail about each flavor of chocolate.

Unsweetened Chocolate

Unsweetened chocolate is also called chocolate liquor. (This has zero alcohol content.) It is made from finely ground and roasted cocoa nibs. Unsweetened chocolate can be Dutch processed (alkalized).

Unsweetened chocolate can be used in cakes, brownies, and cookies only with the addition of sugar. Unsweetened chocolate is packaged and sold in bars, blocks and discs. They are also sometimes sold in packages of 1oz. squares. This makes them easier to melt.

Bittersweet Chocolate

Bittersweet chocolate can be categorized as many different brands and types of chocolate. It is darker and more pronounced than semi-sweet. It contains a higher cacao content which makes it trickier to work with.

Bittersweet chocolate contains sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla and lecithin. Lecithin is an emulsifier that holds the cocoa and the cocoa butter together in a candy bar. Bittersweet chocolate is preferred by chefs.

It is sold in bars, blocks and disks. It is also sometimes sold in packages of 1 oz. squares.

Semisweet Chocolate

Semisweet chocolate is great for baking and snacking on! Okay, who hasn’t ever grabbed a few chocolate chips before adding them to your batter? I confess!

Semisweet chocolate is dark chocolate with a low sugar content. It is a great way to introduce others to dark chocolate. Semisweet chocolate melts easily, combines well with other flavors, and is great for dipping. Semisweet chocolate is sold in many different forms such as; chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, bars, and disks.

Dark Chocolate

This dark treat is chocolate without milk. It is also called “sweet” chocolate and “plain” chocolate. I have also been hearing about a vegan chocolate. Vegan chocolate contains no milk or sugar products. So, pure dark chocolate would also be considered vegan chocolate.

Dark chocolate also hosts an array of health benefits for you. Dark chocolate in small portions are very good for you.

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White Chocolate

White chocolate differs from all the other flavors-of-chocolate. The composition of white chocolate includes sugar, cocoa butter, dry milk solids and the addition of flavorings such as vanillin or vanilla. White chocolate is great for all types of cooking and baking. It is made by many manufacturers and is sold-in bars, blocks, discs and chips. I have gone into great detail on white chocolate for you.(See Below) Please click here for more information on the flavors-of-chocolate, White Chocolate, please click here.

Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate as it’s name implies, has a creamy, mild and sweet flavor. It is chocolate with milk powder or added condensed milk. In 1870, Swiss confectioner Daniel Peter invented a process of solidifying milk chocolate. This process was more recently invented by Henri Nestle who added condensed milk.

Hershey process milk chocolate was invented by Milton S. Hershey, founder of the Hershey Company. This process enabled milk chocolate to be produced more economically. His process is a trade secret! I love milk chocolate!

Out of all the flavors-of-chocolate this is the most eaten. However, it does work great for cooking and especially for chocolate decorations. Milk chocolate is also more heat sensitive, so be careful when melting it.

Carob-a chocolate substitute.

Carob is not chocolate. Carob is often used a a healthier alternative to chocolate. It is a legume grown in warm climates. It can be used to make baked goods,pudding, candy, and many other things. Carob is naturally sweet and requires much less sugar than chocolate when added to recipes.

Note: When replacing chocolate for carob in a recipe use:

3 TBS of carob powder + 1 TBS water for every 1 oz. of unsweetened chocolate.

Also: Remember to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. For more great information on carob. Please click here.

Additional flavors added to chocolate.

There are many different additives used to enhance the flavors-of-chocolate, such as mint, coffee, orange, and strawberry. These are added in very small pieces or in a creamy liquid.

Other ingredients such as peanuts, nuts, fruit, caramel and crisped rice are even added. We all have our favorites plain, nutty, or dark.