Discover The Most Popular Types Of Chocolate And Their Health Benefits
Chocolate is a delicious treat that is enjoyed all over the world and in many ways.
Many people love eating chocolate yet know very little about where it comes from and what the actual differences are between different types of chocolate.
With this in mind, here is all that you need to know about the different types of chocolate.
What Makes Up Chocolate
First, you need to have a clear understanding of what chocolate is in order to know the difference between different types. The percentage of cocoa or cacao is vital and the chocolate with lower cacao percentage will include cocoa butter and lecithin which will give it that silky, smooth texture.
Baking Chocolate
Baking chocolate (also known as unsweetened chocolate) is 100% cacao and 0% sugar. This makes it very bitter and most people do not eat it in this form and instead use it when baking.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is the preferred type by many and those that like a bitterness to their chocolate. Dark chocolate contains over 70% cacao so there is some sweetness to make it more palatable thank baking chocolate. Dark chocolate is also known to have a few health benefits (if enjoyed in moderation), such as improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure, improving brain function and reducing heart disease risk.
Milk Chocolate
Milk chocolate is usually the most popular and default type of chocolate that you will find. Usually, milk chocolate contains around 60% cacao and 40% sugar so it is much sweeter and is used for both eating in bar form and in baking.
White Chocolate
Technically, white chocolate is not really chocolate as it does not contain any cacao. Instead, white chocolate is made up entirely of cocoa butter and sugar and sometimes has vanilla for flavoring. As you would expect, this makes it very sweet which can make it divisive but many prefer this to other variations.
These are the main types of chocolate that people enjoy and it is clear that there is a type for every palette and that chocolate can be used in many ways. For the best quality, you will always want to look at the quality and simplicity of the ingredients and to buy from trusted brands/suppliers.
Chocolate is one of the world’s favourite treats and has a fascinating history. There are also lots of different types of chocolate which can be used in many ways and hopefully this post will help people to have a clearer understanding of the much-loved treat.