A gourmet is a person
who is knowledgeable in fine food and drink.
A Chocolate Primer
A trip down the baking aisle in a grocery store presents
the pastry chef with more options for chocolate than
the candy counter. But if you’re stuck in a pinch,
is it okay to substitute semi-sweet chips with a bittersweet
bar? What can a glimpse at the list of ingredients
tell you about a chocolate bar? Besides color, is
there any real difference between white chocolate
and milk chocolate? And why does European chocolate
feel different in your mouth than American? After
reading this article you will be able to answer these
questions. However, we can’t guarantee that you’ll
make a better chocolate mousse!
There are six basic kinds of chocolate. While all
six are products of the cocoa bean, they differ immensely
in flavor and purpose. Knowing how the cocoa bean
is processed and used to make chocolate will explain
the different kinds of chocolate, and also reveal
why some brands are better quality than others.
Cocoa beans come from trees grown in the tropics
of South and Central America and Africa. Pods containing
the beans are harvested, and the beans together with
the surrounding pulp are removed and placed in bins
to ferment. After three to seven days the fermented
pulp is dried quickly to avoid molding. Then the beans
are roasted, graded and ground into a liquid called
cocoa liquor. From the liquor, a fat called cocoa
butter is extracted, leaving cocoa powder. These are
the raw ingredients used to make chocolate.
Most people are surprised to learn that pure cocoa
is very bitter. Cocoa must be sweetened with sugar,
and sometimes vanilla and milk to produce that ever-popular
chocolate flavor. The amount of cocoa in the blend
determines the type of chocolate. Unsweetened or Baking
Chocolate is the solid form of chocolate liquor. It
is used in baking, when sugar or other sweeteners
are called for in the recipe. Similarly, Bittersweet
chocolate is primarily used for baking, with a minimum
of 50% cocoa liquor. A third type of chocolate used
in baking is Semi-Sweet, with a minimum of 35% cocoa
liquor. Semi-sweet morsels are best known as the key
ingredient in chocolate chip cookies.
While bittersweet has a stronger chocolate flavor
than the sugary semi-sweet chocolate, these can sometimes
be used interchangeably in recipes. In fact, since
the amount of sugar is not regulated, what one manufacturer
calls semi-sweet may be called bittersweet by another.
Europeans, whose regulations are higher than Americans,
tend to use more bittersweet. As a general guideline
it’s best to note that the higher the content of chocolate
liquor, the richer and more flavorful the chocolate.
Both bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate are considered
Dark Chocolate, which is any chocolate that does not
contain milk or milk solids. American regulations
set a minimum at 15% cocoa liquor in dark chocolate
(European rules 35% minimum); however the finest dark
chocolate has between 60-70%. There has been hype
in recent years that the antioxidants present in dark
chocolate may protect the heart; however, much of
the processing destroys these healthy properties.
Also, the high fat content in chocolate largely negates
the benefits.
When milk solids are added to the blend, you get
creamy Milk Chocolate, which has at least 10% cocoa
liquor. Finally, White Chocolate, made with cocoa
butter, milk, and sugar is usually made without any
cocoa solids at all.
While chocolatiers have their own blends, the best
quality chocolate is that made with high cocoa content.
Cheaper blends may use fats other than cocoa butter,
and many inferior mass-produced chocolates have less
than 7% cocoa! Checking the ingredients list is a
good idea if you are searching for a high-quality
chocolate. Other than that, the feel of the chocolate
in your mouth and the best flavor are largely a matter
of personal taste. It is recommended you taste test
different brands until you find the chocolate you
like best—a task that will hardly be a burden to anyone!
About the Author:
Francesca Black is a gourmet and freelance writer.
Writing for Gourmet Living http://www.gourmet-living.com
and BBQ Shop http://www.bbq-shop.net
.
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