Chocolate

We notice on the market place different type of chocolate. In fact, there are 5 main types of chocolate:

1. Unsweetened chocolate

It is made with pure solid chocolate liquor (almost 100% cocoa solid). Because it is too bitter to eat, this chocolate is only used for baking.

2. Bittersweet chocolate

This chocolate is rich and creamy with a milder chocolate flavor and a larger amount of additional cocoa butter and sugar. Often used in commercial candies or bars.  European types of bittersweet chocolate usually contain very large amounts of cocoa solids, and some of them have quite bitter taste.

3. Semi-sweet chocolate

This chocolate is the classic dark baking chocolate available in most grocery stores. It is made using the same method as unsweetened chocolate, but a pinch of sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla are added to give it a rich, sweet taste. Semi-sweet is perfect for garnishes and fondues.

4.  Milk chocolate

This chocolate is sweet chocolate which normally contains 10-20% cocoa solids (which includes cocoa and cocoa butter) and more than 12% milk solids. It is seldom used for baking, except for cookies.

5. White chocolate

This chocolate is made with cocoa butter, sugar, milk, emulsifier, vanilla and sometimes other flavorings. It does not contain any non-fat ingredients from the cacao bean and has therefore an off-white color. In some countries white chocolate cannot be called ‘chocolate’ because of the low content of cocoa solids. It has a mild and pleasant flavor and can be used to make Chocolate Mousse, Panna Cotta and other desserts.