Which types of chocolate do you know?

We''ve put together a short guide to the types of chocolate that every chocoholic should know.

Milk chocolate

Contains at least 20% cocoa solids, with higher quality types containing 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.). Its delicate and sweet taste makes it by far the most popular among chocoholics, while those who are more discerning prefer chocolates with a higher cocoa content.

White chocolate

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 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 does. It is the most brittle type of chocolate and its extremely sweet taste makes it particularly popular with children.

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.

We have put together a short guide to the types of chocolate that every chocoholic should know.

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 addition of flavourings 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.

Edible chocolate

Made from pure cocoa mass, a thick liquid substance formed when cocoa beans are ground. Although it looks and smells like ordinary chocolate, it has a slightly more bitter taste and is not intended to be eaten on its own, but rather to be cooked or baked. Since more than half of the cocoa mass is cocoa butter, edible chocolate has an extremely rich taste. The unsweetened mass is in fact the basic ingredient for other chocolates - except for white chocolate.

Chocolate topping or couverture

Contains a large amount of cocoa mass and cocoa butter (at least 30 %), so it melts quickly and is nicely spreadable, but is more stable when it hardens. It is mainly used by those who are more skilled in cooking or baking and is available in milk, white or dark chocolate.

Cocoa powder

Not exactly a type of chocolate, but no less important for that. It is mainly used in baking or in the preparation of chocolate milk or hot chocolate. It can be a by-product of chocolate production, but many people use it in its natural, unsweetened form - it is light brown in colour and has a strong and slightly sour taste. The other version, cocoa powder, is produced during the removal of cocoa butter from the crushed cocoa mass, and its slightly sour taste is neutralised in the process.

Characteristics of good quality chocolate

Not all chocolate is good quality - so if you are looking for quality, make sure that the chocolate you choose has the following characteristics:

• A glossy sheen is an indication that the chocolate has been properly stored or protected, at around 18 °C. When chocolate starts to melt, the cocoa butter comes to the surface, changing not only the texture of the chocolate, but also its taste.
• Flavour
• Texture, or ''chocolate mouthfeel'' - quality chocolate melts in the mouth because the melting temperature of the cocoa butter is lower than the body temperature.
• It is, of course, ultimately the taste that determines which chocolate you like best. Chocolate production varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and there are many factors that influence its taste - from the origin of the cocoa beans and how they are roasted, to the proportions of the ingredients in the chocolate.

>> How to identify quality dark chocolate <<