Milk shakes, cookies, candy bars, flavored cereal, medicine and cereals are among foods that use chocolate as the main ingredient. In many homes, chocolate is ranked as the most preferred flavor and while this is the case, very few people know its origin and what makes it popular. In order to understand and appreciate chocolate better, it is important to learn more about it.
History of Chocolate
Chocolate has a history that spans to more than 2,000 years and the story begins at South America and Central tropical rainforests. In these regions, a plant known as cacao was grown and its seeds were eventually use in making chocolate. The history encompasses different cultures as well as continents and while this is the case, ancient Central America and Mexico cultures are known as the first to make chocolate.
These people also include the Aztec and Maya who ground the seeds and mixed them with different types of seasoning to create a frothy and spicy drink. Later, the seeds were taken to Spain where amazing recipes were created. With time, the popularity of this drink spread to Europe and thanks to advance in technology, the taste and texture was improved. In essence, for this to be made, the seeds have to be dried, ground, roasted and fermented. Once this is done, the end result is a smooth, butter solid fat that can be used in chocolate liquor, foods and cosmetics among other products
Varieties of Chocolate
There are different varieties to choose from and some of these include the following.
- Unsweetened Chocolate This is also known as bitter chocolate and it is in pure liquor form that is solely comprised of cocoa beans that have been grounded. It is not meant for direct consumption though it resembles real chocolate and even smells like it. For this reason, it is often used in cooking and mixed with sugar in order to give it a better taste.
- Dark Chocolate It contains vanilla, cocoa butter, sugar and liquor. It also has leicithin which acts as an emulsifier and milk solids are not added to this combination. For commercial chocolates, the cocoa content ranges from 30% making it sweet to 70 or 80% making it bitter sweet. It is because of this fact that bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate are known to fall in this category.
- Sweet Dark Chocolate This can also be refereed to as dark chocolate and this is because it does not have any milk solids. However, it has high percentages of sugar and is also known to be sweeter compared to other dark types. In most cases, it contains 20 to 40% of cocoa solids.
- White Chocolate It gets its name from the cocoa butter content but does not have any liquor or cocoa products. Because of this, it does not have the definite taste of chocolate though it has the strong taste of added flavorings and vanilla. It is supposed to have cocoa butter percentage of 20 and 14% of milk solids while the maximum percentage for sugar is supposed to be 55%.
- Couverture Chocolate This is largely used by professional confectioners and bakers because it contains high percentages of cocoa butter and chocolate liquor. Because of this high percentage, it is highly priced and this also means that it has the ability to melt evenly and quickly. In addition to this, it also results to smooth chocolate. It comes in different varieties such as white, dark and milk.
- Gianduja Chocolate This is the name used for European style chocolates and it is made using nut paste. The most common nut paste used in making this type is hazelnut paste though it can also be made using almond paste. It also comes in different varieties which include dark and milk chocolate. It is popularly used as flavoring or substitute for dark chocolate or milk. When stored at room temperature, it is easy to cut or roll out and while this is the case, it is extremely soft making it inappropriate for the purpose of molding chocolates.
Choosing chocolate
Now that you understand different types of chocolates, it is important to look at some of the basic steps that need to be followed when selecting chocolate. Keep in mind that the chocolate quality selected goes a long way to determine its taste. While it would not make sense to buy the most expensive chocolate, it is important to ensure that the chocolate you buy is of the highest quality possible and not inferior in any way. Some of the basic things you need to consider include the following.
- You have to look at it closely before making your pick. This is important as it makes it possible to ensure that it does not have any blemishes. It also makes it possible to choose varieties that have a glossy surface because they are the best. Surfaces that are gray, scarred or cloudy are an indication that the chocolate is old or has gone through extreme handling or temperatures and you want to steer clear of these.
- Next, you have to break it and get a hard and clean snap. If on the other hand it bends easily or crumbles with ease, you should note it is of low quality.
- Any good chocolate is supposed to have a strong chocolate smell. As such, when all you can smell is vanilla or other ingredients, then it is likely it won’t have the taste of chocolate as well.
- Lastly, you must taste it and when doing this, it is important to pay close attention to the manner in which it melts. In this case, the feeling should be velvety and smooth. It is also advisable to feel the flavors.
Brands
There are different types of chocolate brands in the market and for this reason you have to be on the lookout for well known names. Talk to professionals who understand different brands and tastes in order to make a wise decision. When making a purchase, also keep in mind that the sensory nerves are important and trust your taste buds to settle with the best chocolate.
Thanks for reading.