What is Chocolate?


information about chocolate

It might sound silly to ask what is chocolate, but the truth is that hardly many people understand the true definition of this popular, confectionary delight. Throughout the history of chocolate, the exact definition of chocolate has changed and varied with its progression and development over time. It can be a drink, it can be a food, it can be a treat, so maybe we should examine the question of what is chocolate a little further.

Chocolate: what is it?

The dictionary definition of chocolate would state that it is a confectionary item that can be eaten or drunk, made from roasted and ground cacao seeds. These cacao seeds come from the cacao tree, where they grow inside a pod-like fruit. During the process of making chocolate, these seebs are scooped out, dried and roasted to make a powder.

Once the raw chocolate has been sourced and exported, where it is then pressed, rolled and mixed with other ingredients and moulded into all sorts of different shapes. Important additional ingredients include milk, fruit and nuts, sugar, vanilla and biscuit.

Different Types of Chocolate

what is chocolateYou then might be led to ask the question, how do we get different types of chocolate? And what is the difference between them all? The three main types of chocolate are:

  • Dark Chocolate = contains the highest percentage of cacao, typically quite bitter with less sugar and hardly any milk.
  • Milk Chocolate = sweeter and creamier form of chocolate, carries 10% cacao and 12% milk solids, the most common type of chocolate.
  • White Chocolate = contains the least amount of cacao and is principally made from cocoa butter and milk.

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