Tips from professional Chef Tallyrand:

Types of Chocolate

Firstly one needs to understand the questions "how is chocolate made" and "what is chocolate". It is made from the cocao bean, that is dried, roasted and ground. The grinding produces cocoa liquor, from this two distinct items are extracted:

• A fat that is called 'cocoa butter'
  
• A solid that is called 'cocoa mass' and which is refined to make cocoa powder

Depending on what is then added to the cocoa mass the different varieties of chocolate are produced. Each has a different chemical make-up, the differences are not solely in the taste. Be sure, therefore, to use the kind the recipe calls for, as different varieties will react differently to heat and moisture

Cocoa
Chocolate liquor with much of the cocoa butter removed, creating a fine powder.

Alkalised cocoa powder (also known as Dutch processed cocoa), has been treated with an alkali during processing to produce a more mellow, less harsh-tasting, but darkly coloured cocoa.

It can pick up moisture and odours from other products, so store in a cool, dry place, in an airtight container. Depending on its production it may or may not have other ingredients added - sugar, etc.

Unsweetened Chocolate
Simply the cooled and hardened version of chocolate liquor. It is used primarily as an ingredient in recipes as by itself it does not taste very nice.

Bitter / Dark / Plain Chocolate
Cocoa mass, cocoa butter and sugar. Normally contains approximately 35% cocoa liquor

Semi-sweet Chocolate
It has approx. 15% chocolate liquor, with extra cocoa butter and sugar added. Sweet cooking chocolate is basically the same with more sugar for taste

Milk Chocolate
Cocoa mass, cocoa butter, milk or milk powder and sugar and vanilla added. Normally contains approximately 15 % cocoa liquor

White Chocolate
In reality (and, in many countries, legally) not really chocolate at all, as it contains no cocoa solids, which leaves it the smooth ivory or beige colour. White chocolate is primarily cocoa butter, sugar, milk and vanilla.

White 'chocolate' is the most fragile form of all the chocolates. Pay close attention to it while heating or melting it. It must be achieved slowly or it will burn and seize very easily.

Couverture
Couverture is a special kind of 'cooking' chocolate used by professional chefs. A couverture is simply a chocolate with a relatively higher cocoa butter content (a minimum of 32%, often as much as 39%). This high cocoa butter content contributes fluidity, smoothness, strength and ease of handling. In most cases, these chocolates also contain a high cocoa solid content which heightens the flavour

The formula on couverture packaging may look like this: 70/30/38. This means that there is 70% cocoa solids, 30% sugar, and 38% total fat content.

There are two other main types: tempered and un-tempered.

Decorator's Chocolate or Confectioner's Chocolate
This is not really chocolate at all, but a sort of chocolate flavoured candy used for things such as covering strawberries. It was created to melt easily and harden quickly, but it is not really chocolate. If you want quick and easy, use decorator's chocolate . . . if you want the real thing, use real chocolate and patience.

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Published 02 June 2003