The types-of-chocolateThe types-of-chocolate we know today were nurtured in the nineteenth century. The leaders in the discovery of additional techniques and processes to improve chocolate are known as chocolatiers. A chocolatier is someone that produces confectionaries from chocolate. They also professionally study:
As I introduce you to the different types of chocolate, we will be learning more about chocolatiers and their contributions to our favorite food.
Cocoa Powder
Cocoa powder is what is left after all of the cocoa butter has been pressed from the roasted and ground beans. It was developed in 1928 in Holland, by chocolatier Conrad van Houten. He created a process in which he treated cocoa butter with alkali. This gave the cocoa powder a darker color and a slightly milder flavor. There are two kinds of cocoa powder. Alkalized (dutch-processed) or non-alkalized natural.
While cocoa powder (with the addition of sugar) is used in baking and making cakes, it is also used for beverages. It is unsweetened and bitter in flavor . It gives a great, strong chocolate flavor when used in cooking.
Baking Chocolate
Searching through the types-of-chocolate, we come to baking chocolate. Baking chocolate is almost always used in baking and is best in recipes where chocolate is one of many ingredients. Baking chocolate comes in both sweetened and unsweetened. Baking chocolates usually come packaged in one ounce squares.
Couverture
Couverture means covering. These types-of-chocolate are mainly used by professionals because it retains it’s high gloss after melting. This type of chocolate is used for molding and dipping. Couverture has extra cocoa butter added to it so it can be poured into molds and also for dipping. I would not use this type for candies and baking. I also will not be using this type of chocolate in any of my recipes on this web-site.
Eating ChocolateOut of all of the types-of-chocolate, this is my favorite. I love it, I must have it, and I have stashes of it all around my house.(SHH! Don't tell my kids!) These delicious chocolates are usually sold in 3-4 oz. bars. They contain additives that improve the flavor or texture of the chocolate. These bars plain are perfect for melting, making chocolate curls, garnishes, and of course eating!
Candy bars made their debut, in England, in the middle of the nineteenth century.
Powdered Chocolate or Ground ChocolateWhen I first learned about these types-of-chocolate, I immediately thought it was cocoa powder. It’s not. Ground chocolate is produced from semi-sweet chocolate. Ground chocolate is very sweet and does not contain a very high cocoa butter content. Powdered chocolate is typically not used for baking. It’s used best in beverages and for flavoring whipped cream.
Compound coatingCompound coatings are not chocolate. I am including them in types-of-chocolate because they are chocolate flavored products. In these compounds, the cocoa butter is replaced by hard vegetable fat. These compounds are usually called candy melts or summer coatings . They are sold in the form of discs and can come in a variety of different colors. Though these compounds melt easily, they are an inferior substitute for chocolate. If you ever eat a disc, you’ll experience why! These typically are sold in hobby stores. I know that many of you use these in candy making and molding. I, personally do not care for them. But, I have used them sparingly and occasionally only for decorative purposes. I honestly do not recommend using these.
White Chocolate
This is another chocolate listed in the types-of-chocolate that really isn’t chocolate. This fact was extremely interesting to me. For this white delight to be able to legally be called “white chocolate”, it must contain at least 20 percent cocoa butter, 14 percent milk solids and 3.5 percent milk fat. This is based on the Standards of Identity set fourth by the FDA (food and drug administration) in the United States. Many times white chocolate is labeled “white confectionary” or “white coating”. Foreign countries have given it names such as “Blancor” or “Ivoire”. White chocolate is more expensive to produce than it’s dark counterparts. The reason is that it contains more of the costly cocoa butter. Note: Real white chocolate contains cocoa butter: not vegetable fats. Also summer coatings (candy melts) are not white chocolate. True white chocolate will be in shades of ivory, not white. So, when purchasing these types-of-chocolate be sure to read the labels to be sure of what you are buying. If you would like more information on the types-of-chocolate, including flavors, please click here. |
