Chocolate Lovers, what is real chocolate?

 

 

\What constitutes real chocolate and how is it different from chocolate flavor?

 

 

 

 

            The percentages you run across these days on bars of chocolate refer to the amount of cacao solids that have been blended into that particular product. The higher the percentage, the larger the amount of cacao solids as opposed to other additives such as sugar and cocoa butter.

 

 

            Cocoa butter is the substance that defines the recognized and sought after chocolate experience. Over half the weight of a dried and cured cacao bean is made up of the fat called cocoa butter. This substance is prized, not only as an essential ingredient in the making of chocolate, it is also used in large quantities  by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries due to its characteristically low melting point and its resistance to rancidity. It is this quality of cocoa butter that lets chocolate melt-in-your-mouth. It also adds to the ability of chocolate to remain for long periods of time at room temperatures without going stale.

 

In the process of making chocolate from the raw cacao bean, it is the cocoa butter which is first extracted.  The solids or cacao mass that is left is then ground down and powdered in a process called conching.  It is at this point, when the fat is removed from the solid, that much of the precious cocoa butter is sold off for use in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Only a specified amount is carefully added back into the cocoa mass in controlled proportion according to specific recipes. This ensures each chocolate product is unique and quite distinct from all others not only in taste but also in texture. A higher amount of the costly cocoa butter will produce a smoother chocolate preferred by connoisseurs and chocolateers who will also demand a higher percentages of cacao solids.  Inferior “chocolate flavoring” may only include 15% cocoa solids, with the bulk of their product made up of cheaper ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, sugar and milk solids. In the lowest grade of chocolate, there may be little or no cocoa butter at all. Such products cannot legally call themselves chocolate but only chocolate flavoring.

 

           

 

Factors that determine the character of the finished chocolate include, the quality of the conditions in which the beans were grown, the overall health and age of the trees, and their origin. Much like wine, the end result of all things chocolate reflect where they come from and the care they are given along the way.      

 

Chocolates used to make Soma Truffles are all Belgian. We use dark, milk and white for the centers of our truffles, called ganauches. Couvertures, that is the chocolate covering we use to seal the centers, may also include bittersweet, dark and dark milk chocolates as well as white.

 

 

 

 

Is white chocolate real chocolate?

 

 

Yes. In a stipulation rendered by the US in 2004, white chocolate must contain 20% cocoa butter, 14%milk solids and 3.5% milk fat in order to qualify as real. It must also be less than 55% sweetener such as sugar. Otherwise it must distinguish itself as “white confectionary coating.” True white chocolate is ivory in color and still has the unmistakable chocolate taste of cocoa butter. But there are no cocoa solids hence no brown color. What makes white chocolate so sought after is its blending quality. It lends itself well to more delicate flavor blends such as fruits and even flowers, herbs, and spices. This makes white chocolate a favorite for wedding planners as it compliments light colors and aromatic flavor pairings of the event.

 

Milk chocolate, to be “legal” must contain 10% cocoa solids (US) and 25% (European): Soma’s “dark milk” contains 33% or more. Historically the best milk chocolate comes from countries known for their superior dairies such as Switzerland. But cultural tastes also figure into the picture. Hershey’s has set the standard for popular taste in chocolate in the US with its ever popular Hershey’s kiss. Early on the famous Mr. Hershey discovered adding milk to his product increased its popularity exponentially, while at the same time reducing his cost of production; a winning combination in the world of popular taste.

 

In recent years, the trend toward “healthy” eating has found rewards in the world of chocolate. The popular understanding states that the higher the percentage of cocoa solids in a chocolate product, the “better” it is for you because the higher the cocoa content the lower the sugar content. As a rule of thumb, this is a fairly safe assumption though the complexity of chocolate in its origin, production and additives suggest a closer consideration may be well warranted. There is no doubt that high amounts of antioxidants in dark chocolate ranks it favorably as a health food to be enjoyed even daily for its benefits.

 

Dark chocolate must contain 15% cocoa solids (US) and 35% (European): Soma’s dark is a minimum of 60% and our dark couvertures may be 72% or more.

 

We may also use Semi-sweet couvetures when available which have slightly less sugar and about the same cocoa solids as the dark.