Chocolate, loved and familiar to all, is actually a very complex substance.
There are lots of different varieties of chocolate used in cooking, from cocoa powder to baking chocolate and eating chocolate. Each variety is best suited to particular uses so it’s important to use the type of chocolate that is specified in the recipe. But terms like bittersweet, semi-sweet, sweet and unsweetened chocolate that sometimes appear in recipes might leave you wondering which type to reach for from the supermarket shelf.
To understand about the different types of chocolate it’s important to understand how chocolate is made and what it actually is.
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which are dried, roasted and ground. The grinding process produces a thick dark paste or chocolate ‘liquor’ (also known as cocoa solids or cocoa mass). This chocolate liquor is the basis of all chocolate and cocoa products.
When buying chocolate for use in cooking read the list of ingredients and look for the percentage of cocoa solids and sugar. If a recipe calls for dark or bitter chocolate, select a chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa solids (70%).
Lets find out more about the different types of chocolate:
Plain chocolate
Also known as dark, Continental chocolate, bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, many recipes call for plain chocolate because it’s stronger.
Look for a minimum of 35% cocoa solids. Plain chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa solids will give a more intense rich chocolate flavour. Be guided by what you’re making and the amount of chocolate specified in the recipe. Recipes such as chocolate mousse, chocolate soufflé or chocolate truffles all require a large amount of chocolate so it’s bestmay be best to opt for a plain chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa solids.
Milk chocolate
In producing milk chocolate, some of the cocoa solids are replaced by milk solids giving it a sweeter taste and smoother, ‘creamier’ texture.
Milk chocolate is primarily enjoyed as an eating chocolate but can be used in some desserts, pastries and confectionery recipes. However, milk chocolate is very heat sensitive which makes it unsuitable in baking. Milk chocolate is best used only in recipes that specifically call for it.
White chocolate
Technically, not chocolate, white chocolate contains no cocoa solids at all and is made from cocoa butter. White chocolate is made with a high proportion of cocoa butter along with milk solids, real vanilla and sugar.
Care needs to be taken when cooking with white chocolate, particularly while heating or melting white chocolate. It’s also important to avoid mixing melted white chocolate with any water droplets as this can turn the mixture lumpy and grainy.
Unsweetened Chocolate
Simply the cooled and hardened version of chocolate liquor, unsweetened chocolate is chocolate in its purest form. It is extremely bitter to the taste as it has no sugar added and is used primarily as an ingredient in recipes. It is also sometimes known as baking or cooking chocolate but should not be confused with the sorts of cooking chocolate we might be more familiar with in the UK, which often contain very little cocoa.
Couverture chocolate
Couverture chocolate contains a very high proportion of cocoa butter (minimum 32%) and a high percentage of cocoa mass.
This type of chocolate used by professional chefs is ‘tempered’ before use (melted, cooled and re-melted) which makes it very smooth and glossy.
Couverture chocolate is available in plain, milk and white chocolate varieties.
Cocoa powder
Cocoa powder is simply chocolate liquor with much of the cocoa butter removed, creating a fine powder. It has a bitter, rich chocolatey taste and therefore you don’t need a large amount to add plenty of chocolate flavour to a recipe. It can also be used to sprinkle over cakes or ice cream as a garnish.
Cocoa can pick up moisture and odours from other products, so store in a cool, dry place, away from herbs and spices and other aromatic foods.
Drinking chocolate
Cocoa powder with added sugars and milk extracts. It has a very sweet flavour and pale colour. Apart from its obvious use in drinks, drinking chocolate can be useful as a coating on truffles.