Smart Shopping for Chocolate

All chocolate comes from the seed of the cacao tree, which is then separated into cocoa liquor and cocoa butter. Cocoa liquor contains cocoa solids. Cocoa solids give chocolate its dark appearance. When used as a flavoring, chocolate is called baking chocolate, unsweetened chocolate or bitter chocolate. As its name implies, this chocolate does not contain sugar and tastes bitter. Sugar is added to the recipe to offset the bitterness. Cocoa is the name given to unsweetened chocolate in powder form. It has less cocoa butter and can be used to cut down on the fat in a recipe. Dark chocolate is the term used for all sweetened chocolate except milk chocolate and white chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate is also used in baking and is most familiar as the chips in chocolate chip cookies. However, it can be melted and used in the same way as bitter chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate contains sugar.

Milk chocolate contains dried milk solids, vanilla, cocoa butter and sugar. Its flavor is smoother and sweeter but less chocolaty than semi-sweet chocolate. It can be used in cooking. However, it scorches easily and is difficult to work with.

White chocolate is milk chocolate without the cocoa solids. However, since the FDA says that a product must contain some cocoa solids to be called chocolate, white chocolate may be called a variety of names, including white chocolate. Because it does not contain cocoa solids, white chocolate does not contain theobromine, a mild stimulant found in cocoa solids. Baking chocolate and all dark chocolate contain theobromine.

What to Look for

For recipes calling for melted chocolate, baking or bitter chocolate is easiest to handle. It comes in bars or squares. Look for it in the baking section of the supermarket.

When choosing a dark chocolate to eat out of hand, your desire for sweetness is the best guide. Supermarkets offer a wide variety of eating chocolate. The higher the percentage of cacao, the richer the chocolate will taste and the darker the chocolate will be. But remember that this will also decrease the sweetness of the chocolate.

True white chocolate can seldom be found in the supermarket. A confectioner or specialty shop is the best place to look for white chocolate. It may also be purchased on-line.

Common Pitfalls

When buying a product called white chocolate, it should be made from cocoa butter, not vegetable oil. The product made from vegetable oil has an inferior flavor.

Remember that dark chocolate contains the mild stimulant, theobromine. Check with your health-care provider if you have been told to stay away from caffeine or other stimulants.