Everything every true chocoholic needs to know about chocolate

Check out the article below to see if you really know all the facts that every chocoholic needs to know about chocolate.

How is chocolate made?

Let''s start from the beginning; chocolate is made from cocoa beans that grow on cocoa trees, evergreen shrubs in tropical places around the equator. The Latin name of the cacao tree is Theobroma cacao, which translates as ''food of the gods'', which is no coincidence, as cacao was a very popular medicine in folk medicine and was even used as currency instead of gold by the Aztecs and Mayans.

Chocolate is made in a long process involving the harvesting and processing of cocoa beans, fermentation and drying, and finally roasting, rubbing and grinding. Interestingly, the cocoa beans only acquire their characteristic brown colour during the processing process, before which they have a rather bitter taste. During the grinding stage, the hulled cocoa beans are ground into a dense mixture known as cocoa paste, which can be used to make cocoa butter, cocoa dough or cake, cocoa powder or chocolate, which, although it is only during the mechanical and heat treatment process that it acquires its true texture and aroma.

The production process produces 4 types of chocolate

Chocolate production continues when cocoa butter, sugar, milk or other additives and stabilisers are added to the cocoa paste, all of which determine the type of chocolate that will be produced. Some say there are three basic food groups: white, milk and dark chocolate. Well, we chocoholics who have kept up with the times are now classifying foods into 4 basic groups - read on to find out which group has joined the familiar three.

White chocolate

Contains a large amount of cocoa butter (at least 20%), sugar, powdered milk and flavourings (mainly vanilla), but no cocoa mass, so it is not brown in colour and is not considered by some to be chocolate in the true sense of the word. The interesting thing about white chocolate is that, although it is the most brittle type of chocolate, it remains solid at a much higher temperature than, for example, milk or dark chocolate - this is due to the high melting point of cocoa butter, which is its main ingredient. Unfortunately, because it does not contain cocoa mass, it does not have all the antioxidant properties that chocolate otherwise has.

Milk chocolate

Contains at least 20 % cocoa solids, while the higher quality varieties contain at least 32 % cocoa solids. Each milk chocolate contains cocoa mass, cocoa butter, condensed or powdered milk, sugar or other sweeteners and flavourings (e.g. lecithin, vanilla, etc.). It has a sweeter and milder taste than bitter or semi-bitter chocolate, and can often taste like fresh milk or caramel.

Dark chocolate

As the name suggests, unlike milk and white chocolate, it contains very little or no milk - which is why it is darker, and in some cases also called dark chocolate. It contains at least 35% cocoa solids, as well as cocoa butter, sugar and flavourings (e.g. lecithin, vanilla, etc.). As a general rule, the more cocoa solids and the less sugar it contains, the better quality and nobler it is.

Dark chocolates include semi-bitter chocolate, which contains up to 50 % cocoa solids, and bitter chocolate, which can contain up to 100 % cocoa solids. The difference between the two lies in the additives such as sugar and various flavourings. Chocolate with more than 70% cocoa solids has a slightly more bitter taste because it does not contain as much sugar, which tends to accentuate the different flavourings in the chocolate.

Blonde chocolate

No, we''re not playing the printer''s gnome - blonde chocolate really does exist! It may have only been around for a few years, but it''s becoming increasingly well-known in the world of chocoholics. Wondering how it''s only been around for a few years? The answer lies in the fact that it was created by pure chance.

Therefore, when buying chocolate, your main consideration should not be the price, as this is not the only criterion for quality chocolate.

One day, a French chef was making a water bath on the stove to bake cakes and completely forgot about the white chocolate, which turned blonde after ten hours. He presented his "invention" to a chocolate company and blond chocolate was born. As the name suggests, it is blonde in colour and very similar in taste and texture to white chocolate, but with a slightly creamier taste and a hint of caramel.

What should you look out for when buying chocolate?

Each of us has a particular type or brand of chocolate that we love, which is why it is the one that is most often found on our shelves at home. If you are looking to buy a chocolate you are unfamiliar with, it is a good idea to try it out first, following our tips mentioned above; if you are not familiar with it, here are some tips that will help you when you buy it.

It is a well-known statement, but not always true, that more expensive chocolate is also better quality. While this is true in some cases, fortunately there are exceptions. Therefore, when buying chocolate, your main consideration should not be price, as this is not the only criterion for quality chocolate. Here are some tips to help you find tasty and healthy chocolate.

Read the ingredients carefully

The two ingredients that any real chocolate contains the most of are cocoa mass and cocoa butter, but unfortunately many chocolates contain additional ingredients that have no real value and, what''s more, may even be harmful to your health. These include, for example, emulsifiers, which are added to food simply to give it a silky and creamy mouthfeel. High-quality dark chocolate contains only cocoa mass and cocoa butter, sometimes vanilla, lecithin and sugar, while milk and white chocolate also contain milk. It is advisable to avoid chocolates with a high sugar content.

Buy chocolate that has been made recently

Although chocolate has a fairly long shelf life, it is of course better to buy chocolate that has been made more recently, as it is fresher. The optimum shelf life for dark chocolate is up to a year, and for milk and white chocolate up to half a year.

5 tips for storing chocolate properly

Whether you buy chocolate on a regular basis or prefer to have a ready supply at home for ''when the sugar drops'', chocolate needs to be stored properly to keep it tasty.

In particular, avoid the 3 main enemies of chocolate - heat, moisture and strong smells:

1. Store it at around 17ºC

Heat is surely chocolate''s biggest enemy, as it not only destroys its texture, but also its true aroma and flavour. Exposure to high temperatures can cause the cocoa butter in the chocolate to come to the surface and cause the chocolate to develop light spots - this is known as ''chocolate bloom''. While it is not harmful to your health, the slightly different taste means that it is not for everyone - but the good news is that you can still use it in baking confectionery or to top your oatmeal. On the other hand, too low a temperature is also not good for chocolate. While it won''t spoil at a lower temperature, it can still start to ''bloom''.

2. Store it in a dry place

The ideal conditions for storing chocolate are when the relative humidity is less than 50 %. Too much humidity can lead to condensation, which can destroy the texture of the chocolate. As in the case of too high a temperature, chocolate is still edible if the humidity level is too high, but again it is up to the individual whether he or she wishes to consume it on its own or use it in other ways.

3. Keep it away from strong odours and direct sunlight

Do not store chocolate in the fridge next to foods that emit strong odours (such as onions) - chocolate absorbs strong odours like a sponge. The fridge is not the best place to store chocolate because of the humidity, which can lead to the aforementioned ''chocolate bloom''. It is also advisable not to expose chocolate to direct sunlight, as this can not only melt the chocolate, but can also cause it to lose its true flavour.

4. If you refrigerate it, protect it well

Unfortunately, especially in summer, the high temperatures in the room mean that we have no choice but to keep chocolate in the fridge. To prevent it from getting unpleasant smells and losing its flavour, it is advisable to wrap it well in a paper towel and a freezer bag and squeeze the air out of the bag before putting it in the fridge, as this will also protect the chocolate from condensation. But be warned - when you take it out of the fridge, wait until it has warmed up to room temperature, as cold chocolate doesn''t melt well in the mouth and the flavour doesn''t come out enough.

5. Don''t be afraid of the expiry date

Let us let you in on a little secret from the chocolate industry: when chocolate is packaged, they print an expiry date on the packaging, which is not absolutely definitive, but which they have to print because of certain laws. In reality, chocolate is edible well beyond its expiry date: if properly stored, it can retain its flavour long after the expiry date.

Chocolate may not be one of the most difficult foods to store, but if stored improperly, even good quality chocolate can lose its true flavour and texture. Although it is rare for the most passionate chocoholics to keep their favourite chocolate intact for very long, it is important to pay just as much attention to its proper storage as to how we buy and taste it. That''s the only way to keep it fresh and retain its brilliant shine for a long time to come.