Published on 18th February, 2024

Chocolates are a worldwide delight savored by all. But are you aware that there exist different kinds of chocolates? Let's find out.

Where Chocolate Comes From

Chocolate is manufactured from cacao beans, which are bitter, so sugar is added to the cocoa solids and cocoa butter, as well as other ingredients, to form the chocolate that is accessible to the public.

Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate is the most popular type of chocolate and is made with a combination of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar, and milk. It has more sugar, a smooth and creamy texture and tastes delicious.

This chocolate is often used in candy bars, chocolate chips, and other confections.

Milk chocolate is good for Chocolate Pudding, Chocolate Mousse or even as a filling for your chocolate cake, velvety flavor. Both milk chocolate dark chocolate makes use of cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, and sugar. But is there milk in the chocolate? Yes, milk chocolate utilises milk powder to give it a creamier taste, texture, and light color.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is made with a higher percentage of cocoa solids and less sugar than milk chocolate. It has a more intense and bitter taste, making it a favorite among chocolate connoisseurs. Dark chocolate is also known for its health benefits, as it contains antioxidants and may help lower blood pressure.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Semi-sweet chocolate is a kind of dark chocolate that contains a balanced combination of sweet and bitter flavours. 
It is often used in baking and sweets because to its diverse flavour profile, which is neither excessively sweet nor too bitter.

Bittersweet Chocolate

Bittersweet chocolate is a type of dark chocolate which is less sweet than semisweet chocolate and contains 50 to 80% cacao. The flavour is deeper and more bitter than semisweet, but it's an excellent choice for hardcore chocolate fans—and it makes a wonderful brownie.

White Chocolate

Contrary to popular belief, white chocolate is not technically chocolate because it does not contain cocoa solids. Instead, it is made with cocoa butter, sugar, and milk. White chocolate has a creamy and sweet taste and is often used in desserts and baked goods.

The combination of rich chocolate and sweet caramel is a match made in heaven.

German Chocolate

Do not be fooled by the name German's Chocolate is not from Germany. It is named after Sam German who developed a unique recipe for a mild dark baking chocolate bar for the Baker's Chocolate Company where he was working at the time.

Nonetheless, the famous German Chocolate Cake was not invented by him. That is the work of Mrs. George Clay who had the first published recipe for the cake as recipe of the day by the Dallas Morning Star newspaper.

The chocolate is identical to semi-sweet chocolate, except it contains more sugar. This means that recipes that use it tend to be slightly sweeter than those that don't.

Ruby Chocolate

You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you this chocolate came in pink.

Ruby Chocolate was discovered by Barry Callebaut, a Swiss-Belgian chocolate company.

It is characterized by a red-pink color palette which adds a visually captivating element to baked goods, making them stand out when placed on dessert tables and social media feeds.

According to Callebaut, Ruby chocolate contains 47.3% and 26.3% milk solids.

Chocolate FAQs

What country makes the best chocolate?

Most cocoa beans comes from Africa (Ivory Coast) then shipped overseas for processing. Therefore, processing them in America, Belgium, France, or Switzerland offers no geographical advantages. The quality of the finished chocolate is mostly determined by the raw beans' quality, fermentation, and further roasting, grinding, and blending at the factory.

How do I store my chocolate?

• Store it in a cool, dry and dark place like your pantry with temperature of around 15-20 C is best.
• Store it away from direct sunlight where it can melt.
• If opened, keep the chocolate in an airtight container.
• You can also store your chocolate in the refrigerator.

What is the best chocolate?

It's difficult to clarify because it all comes down to preference and taste. Do you like dark chocolate or one that is sweeter? Simply put, the best chocolate is one that tastes pleasant to you.

Learn more about chocolate here.