Chocolate is definitely one of the most popular sweets in the world.
Understanding all the types of chocolate can be totally confusing. Read on to learn about the varying flavours, compositions, and characteristics of each kind of chocolate. You'll find most chocolate bars and flavours in our range of UK chocolate hampers and gifts to be enjoyed by one and all.
All chocolate starts with cacao. Cacao beans are fermented, dried and roasted, then the cacao nibs are extracted from the beans, ground and liquefied into a mixture of cocoa solids and cocoa butter called chocolate liquor. Chocolate liquor, sometimes referred to as unsweetened chocolate, is the base of all types of chocolate. This thick, dark brown paste is created from cacao nibs, the inside of the cocoa bean. The nibs are finely ground to a smooth texture. When heated, this paste turns into a liquid that can be formed into bars or chips. Chocolate liquor is 100% cocoa.
7 TYPES OF CHOCOLATE YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
1. MILK CHOCOLATE
Creamy and sweet, milk chocolate contains a minimum of 10 percent chocolate liquor and 12 percent milk, which gives it its name and its soft, melty texture. It’s typically sweeter and less bitter than dark chocolate because it contains that extra dairy and sugar.
Cocoa Mass: 20-35%. Sugar: 25-55%. Milk Powder: 25-35%.
Milk chocolate often has a flavour profile that can be described as sweet and chocolatey, with notes of cooked milk and caramelized sugar and a vanilla aftertaste. It is characteristically sweeter, with a softer texture than dark chocolate, but not quite as sweet and soft as white chocolate.
Milk chocolates are one of the most gifted types of chocolates in the world. Our galaxy chocolate hamper for example contains only milk chocolate!
2. DARK CHOCOLATE
Dark chocolate, with its notable deep brown colour, is noticeably less sweet than milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is fairly simple in composition. It is typically made from two ingredients — chocolate liquor and sugar. The lack of dairy and less sugar gives dark chocolate a firmer texture than milk chocolate or white chocolate. Dark chocolate's widely-acclaimed health benefits make it a favourite snack among health-conscious consumers.
Cocoa Mass: 35-99%. Sugar: 1-65%. Milk Powder: <12
Advantages of Dark Chocolate:
- Dark Chocolate have nutritious and multivitamins
- Dark Chocolate have a Powerful source of antioxidants
- Dark Chocolate improve blood flow and lower blood pressure and can reduce the risk for cardiovascular issues
- Eat Dark Chocolate every day for two weeks It reduced the levels of the stress
Disadvantages of Dark Chocolate:
- If you Consuming large amounts of dark chocolate can lead to an increased heart rate, anxiety and other problems
- There are high levels of Caffeine in dark chocolate which is bad for health.
- Dark Chocolate is High in Sugar
- If you consume large amounts of dark chocolate it will affect your health.
3. WHITE CHOCOLATE
White chocolate is often derided by chocolate fanatics as non-chocolate. It is easy to identify because of its cream or ivory colour. It is made by combining sugar, cocoa butter, milk, vanilla, and lecithin. White chocolate is unique because it doesn't contain any cocoa solids, which is what gives dark and milk chocolate its brown colour. White chocolate is ideal for making dipping and drizzling sauces, mousses, pastry creams, and confectionaries. However, small amounts are recommended due to their extremely sweet taste.
Cocoa Mass: 30%. Sugar: 40%. Milk Powder: 30%.
Brands which provide the best White chocolate – Nestle, Hersheys, and Morde Milk compound slab.
4. UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE
Basically, it is chocolate liquor—cocoa solids and cocoa butter—without any added sugar or dairy. Because of this, it’s very bitter and best left for baking projects that require a deep chocolate flavour, it’s not meant for consumption on its own.
Unsweetened chocolate is ideal for adding a rich cocoa flavour to recipes that already contain a lot of added sugar. It is 100% cocoa. It’s very bitter and only eaten as part of prepared baked goods, such as brownies, cakes, and cookies.
5. RUBY CHOCOLATE
In 2017, another type of chocolate, ruby chocolate was discovered by a Belgian chocolate maker
Surprisingly, its hue is natural and comes from the “ruby cocoa beans” used to make it.. It features a sweet, berry flavour with fresh, sour notes and a red-pink colour, despite having no added colours or fruit flavourings, like berries in chocolate form.
In fact, at first bite, you may find the taste jarring – the smooth, milky taste of chocolate followed by an acidic tang. Ruby chocolate is one of the most acidic chocolates on the market, adding to its flavour complexity.
Brands which provide the best Ruby chocolate – Tricous pure Belgium.
6. RAW CHOCOLATE
Raw chocolate is made from unroasted cocoa beans, which manufacturers claim leaves the nutrients and antioxidants intact.
Cocoa Mass: 100%. Sugar: 0%. Milk Powder: 0%.
While the beans are not roasted, they are fermented. Fermentation breaks down the high levels of tannin in cacao and eases some of the bitter flavors. Raw chocolate has a more natural taste than chocolate made with roasted cacao beans. It is a whole, organic food that contains live enzymes and is sweetened with natural sweeteners instead of processed sugar.
Fine & raw chocolate comes from the criollo arriba cacao bean, which is one of the highest quality cacao beans available.
Benefits of raw chocolate:
Raw chocolate benefits include those also found in dark chocolate but to a much greater degree. The high concentration of magnesium found in raw chocolate helps with relaxation and heals the muscles throughout the entire body.
The nutrients found in raw chocolate have been linked to a variety of health benefits:
- Improves digestion
- Boosts mood
- Improves brain function
- Reduces lethargy
- Improves memory
- Prevents premature ageing
- Protects skin
- Improves cardiovascular function
Raw chocolate contains living enzymes that are preserved even through processing, does not contain any milk at all and is intensely bitter and most people won’t enjoy it eaten as a snack.
7. Semisweet/Bittersweet
Bittersweet chocolate contains 70% cacao and has less sugar, whereas semisweet chocolate has 60% cacao. However, both of these chocolates can be interchangeable when used in baking, although bittersweet has a deeper flavour.
On the chocolate spectrum, bittersweet chocolate is darker than milk chocolate and semisweet chocolate. It is not quite as dark as true dark chocolate or unsweetened chocolate.
The relatively high cacao content makes the chocolate flavour deep and less sweet, with a slightly dry or crumbly texture. But both semisweet and bittersweet chocolate is sweeter than true dark chocolate.
Bittersweet chocolate contains more cacao flavour than semisweet chocolate so it contains less sugar and, therefore, has a flavour that is slightly deeper and more bitter. By comparison, semisweet chocolate is slightly sweeter; however, the taste difference is so slight many consumers can barely taste the difference.
Health benefits and risks of chocolate:
The next time you eat a piece of chocolate, you may not have to feel so guilty about it. Indulging your chocolate habit doesn’t need to be an unhealthy one. By picking the right kind of chocolate to snack on and ensuring that you only consume a moderate amount every day, you’ll be able to enjoy its taste and health benefits without suffering from the unsavoury consequences of chocolate overconsumption.
- Chocolate consumption has long been associated with conditions such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, and hypertension.
- Chocolate is believed to contain high levels of antioxidants.
- Some studies have suggested chocolate could lower cholesterol levels and prevent memory decline.
- Chocolate contains a large number of calories.
- People who are seeking to lose or maintain weight should eat chocolate only in moderation.
The key ingredient in chocolate contains biologically active phenolic compounds. The higher the cocoa content, as in dark chocolate, the more benefits there are.
Eating chocolate may have the following benefits:
- lowering cholesterol levels
- preventing cognitive decline
- reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems
Risks and precautions:
- Weight gain
- Migraine risk
- The high sugar content of most chocolate can also be a cause of tooth decay.
A Chocolate is Always Welcome
Chocolate is the one present that’s guaranteed to cheer anyone up as it expresses love and indulgence in every bite.
There’s no wrong way to present chocolate as a gift. Include chocolate in a stocking or gift wrapped in a beautiful box. You could also show off a chocolate brand’s cool packaging with a simple bow or ribbon. One of the most popular ways is as gift hampers.
The customisation choices allow for one to have an ultimate gift that suits their kind of gifting. And chocolate hampers filled with your loved one’s favourite treats give you the opportunity to shower them with loads and loads of teeny-tiny gifts. Who can resist that?
Chocolate hampers provide comfort, joy and happiness, no matter the occasion, even if it’s just an ordinary day. It’s a thoughtful, yet affordable gesture, for a fun gift for your favourite chocolate lover.
Chocolate conjures a feeling of decadence and being just a little bit spoiled. Choosing a hamper that includes a combination of sweet treats, savoury nibbles, and chocolates is a great idea when organising a gift delivery for someone if you don’t know what they will prefer.
Whether it be a gift as an impression of love, for your mom as a Mother's Day gift or as a cheer-up gift for a friend.
Make a lasting impression. Send a beautifully presented, luxury chocolate gift hampers packed full of quality ingredients from world-class brands. Chocolate hampers and gift baskets make choosing a gift easy. And when it comes in a form as irresistible as truffles, cakes, pastries, candy or chocolates, you simply can't resist.
Your recipient will love receiving a sampling of delicious treats to taste, try, and share, before picking their favourite.
A basket of chocolate-covered everything is where chocolate lovers will melt.