Is there a difference in chocolates?
For most people, choosing between white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate is a personal preference and has nothing to with the ingredients themselves. But have you ever asked yourself,whywhite chocolateis white, not brown? Or iswhite chocolate really chocolate? Or maybe you didn’t care, as long as your cravings were satisfied.
Before we indulge ourselves in what white is exactly, we first must understand the fundamentals of chocolate.
What is Chocolate?
Chocolate in any form comes from the cocoa bean. Chocolate production begins with the harvesting of the cocoa bean pods. The beans, about the size of almonds, are red in color and roasted. After roasting, the shells are removed to leave behind chocolate nibs (cocoa solids and cocoa butter).
Cocoa butter is the main fat content of chocolate while the cocoa solids are what is ground into powder. The cocoa solids determine how light or dark the chocolate ends up being - or white in the case of white chocolate.
Cocoa nibs can be pressed into a nut butter like paste, referred to as chocolate liqueur. The bitter substance contains no alcohol but forms the basis for real chocolate.
What is White Chocolate Made out of?
Despite the obvious color difference between white and dark chocolate, the biggest contrast is how muchcocoa bean solidsare in the chocolate. Some argue that white chocolate isn’t actually chocolate because it contains no cocoa solids or liquor. However, it can contain cocoa butter, the main fat of chocolate and has a similar texture to milk chocolate. Yet without the cocoa solids, it technically isn’t chocolate.
White Chocolate is different than Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate contains the highest percentage of cocoa nibs. The minimum amount is 35 percent but some chocolate products are 85 percent. The higher the amount of cocoa, the darker and stronger the chocolate bar is to the palette. Dark chocolate also doesn’t contain any milk solids like white chocolate.
What about Milk Chocolate?
Milk chocolate is roughly 10 to 15 percent cocoa liquor and 12 to 15 percent milk solids. Its sweetness and creaminess come from added sugar and milk.
Knowing the Difference Between Real and Fake White Chocolate
In 2002, the Food and Drug Administration (FD) established a standard of identity for white chocolate. According to the FDA white chocolate must be at “least 20 percent cocoa butter, at least 14 percent total milk solids, at least 3.5 percent milkfat.”
If the chocolatier doesn’t meet these standards, it can’t be labeled white chocolate. Fortunately, there are some delicious chocolate bars that meet this standard. One thing to look out for is that lower quality white chocolate might use vegetable oil or condensed milk as the milk solids.
How to Consume White Chocolate
White chocolate comes in many forms. The most popular way to consume its creamy goodness is a chocolate bar. However, white chocolate chips make perfect chocolate chip cookies and white chocolate cocoa is a refreshing alternative to dark. Another indulgence is white chocolate orange spread.
So the question ofwhite chocolatemight not need to be answered when chocolate is concerned. However, for those wanting to know, you can go ahead and say, "no, no it isn’t!"
Do we make whitechocolate bars?
Yes! Our Golden Goodness bar was launched on January 17th, 2020 and is made of white chocolate with caramelized sugar and 100% cacao nibs. For a sweet crunchy treat that is as good as gold!
A Final Word About the Health Consequences of White Chocolate
There are some obvious differences between white and dark chocolates. But what you might not have known is that while there are definitely some health benefits to eating dark chocolate, eating white chocolate strips those flavinoids that give chocolate (specifically dark chocolate) any health benefits.
FAQs
According to the FDA white chocolate must be at “least 20 percent cocoa butter, at least 14 percent total milk solids, at least 3.5 percent milkfat.” If the chocolatier doesn't meet these standards, it can't be labeled white chocolate. Fortunately, there are some delicious chocolate bars that meet this standard.
What is white chocolate explanation? ›
White chocolate is a confectionery typically made of sugar, milk, and cocoa butter, but no cocoa solids. It is pale ivory in color, and lacks many of the compounds found in milk, dark, and other chocolates.
What is white chocolate summary? ›
What is white chocolate? White chocolate is made of cocoa butter that comes from the cocoa bean, which all chocolate is made from. It is known by its pale ivory color and buttery, milky sweet taste. White chocolate's luscious creaminess makes it the perfect match for ice cream.
What are 3 white chocolate facts? ›
Fast Facts
- Storage: In a sealed container in a cool, dark spot.
- Highest Quality: Contains only milk, cocoa butter, and sugar.
- Common Uses: Cookies, mochas, truffles, candy bars.
White chocolate comes from the same cocoa beans as regular chocolate but bypasses several of the production steps. White chocolate does not have cocoa or chocolate liquor. White chocolate made of cocoa butter blended with a combination of sugar, cream, milk and vanilla flavoring.
What is white chocolate known for? ›
White chocolate celebrates the beauty of simplicity. Its decadent flavors come from only three ingredients: cocoa butter (at least 20%), sugar and milk or milk solids. Nuts, dried fruits, and vanilla can also be infused into the chocolate. How chocolate is made is a fascinating process.
What does it mean if chocolate is white? ›
Fat bloom occurs due to improper storing conditions, dramatic changes in temperature, or a poor tempering process. This bloom will give the chocolate a powdery, white-gray appearance and leave the bar soft in texture.
What is white chocolate dictionary? ›
white chocolate. noun. : a sweet food made with cocoa butter, sugar, milk, and flavorings.
What does white chocolate symbolize? ›
In Japanese culture, White is often associated with purity and is seen as a symbol of pure, sweet love. Initially, the concept involved men gifting white chocolate to women, but it soon expanded to include other gifts like jewellery, lingerie, and marshmallows.
What is the best thing about white chocolate? ›
Its claim to fame is its creaminess, since cocoa butter melts at body temperature. And because its flavor is mild, "it's the perfect canvas to showcase other flavors, like raspberries, lemon, or even olives."
The additives of sugar and fat in both milk chocolate and white chocolate trigger sweet taste receptors which releases dopamine and entice consumption to be repeated.
Why is white chocolate healthy? ›
Rich in Antioxidants
Polyphenols and flavonoids are two types of antioxidants that can be found in white chocolate, and they may help protect the body from inflammation, improve cardiovascular health, and even support healthy skin.
Is there pure white chocolate? ›
Actually, no. When you see a white chocolate that is pure white, it's because the cocoa butter has been deodorized and bleached to give it the pure white color. This is neither tasty, nor healthy because you're not only stripping the flavor but also the health benefits from the cocoa butter.
Is Hershey's white chocolate Real? ›
These days, white chocolate really is chocolate, so long as it's at least 20 percent cocoa butter, 14 percent milk solids, and 3.5 percent milkfat.
What's the point of white chocolate? ›
The story is that it was a way to use up excess milk powder that had been produced for World War I and was no longer in demand." White chocolate is also a way to use up extra cocoa butter that is extracted from the cocoa bean when making cocoa powder.
Why is it called white chocolate if it isn't chocolate? ›
White chocolate is called white chocolate because of its white appearance thanks to the cocoa butter and milk powder.
What does white chocolate say about your personality? ›
White chocolate aficionados have an innate sense of fairness and believe they have the power of the universe at their command.
