Types of Chocolate

Assorted Chocolate Candies

It was once highly priced by kings, queens and emperors. Now, everyone has access to this delectable confection. We are talking about chocolate. In case you were not aware, there is more than one kind of this yummy goodness to enjoy.

Who knew that chocolate was more than just a Valentine’s Day cash cow? Most people are familiar with one or two kinds of chocolate, but we will highlight them all for you.

All chocolate is made up of mostly cocoa and cocoa butter. The type of chocolate mostly depends on the amount of cocoa solids found in it. So, let’s explore the various types of chocolate and learn a bit more about them each below.

Milk Chocolate – Have you heard of Hershey’s? That’s milk chocolate. This is the one that most people know. Milk chocolate is very sweet and creamy, mostly due to the milk added to it. It’s found in brownies, candy bars, cookies and more. The milk added to milk chocolate is what adds the sometimes unwanted calories and fat. Yes, the rich and creamy goodness is not healthy for you if you’re looking to keep the pounds off. About twenty percent of this type of chocolate is composed of cocoa solids.
Semisweet Chocolate – You find this type of chocolate in those cute little morsels that you add to cookie dough or brownie mixes. You can also melt it to add to cake batter. In semisweet chocolate, the percentage of cocoa solids rises to about sixty percent. Have you heard of Nestlé’s or Baker’s? Both market their own brands of semisweet chocolate.
Dark Chocolate – What used to be the black sheep of the chocolate family is now gaining quite the following and popularity. Dark chocolate contains the highest amount of cocoa solids out of any of the chocolate types. There is usually no milk added to dark chocolate. The taste is not as sweet as other brands of chocolate but it is a healthier type for those who like to eat it. Heard of Dove? Their dark chocolate is very popular among those who love this type of the sweet stuff.
White Chocolate – It’s not exactly white, but has an off-white color. It is not a sweet chocolate on it’s own but is usually mixed with milk chocolate in desserts to make it seem sweeter. Because it contains cocoa butter, a type of cocoa solid, this variety gets the name chocolate but in all actuality, it contains no cocoa at all.
Unsweetened Chocolate - No one usually eats this chocolate because of the lack of taste – yeah it’s actually quite bitter on its own. But, unsweetened chocolate is used in baking where sugar is added to sweeten the deal. There are 100 percent cocoa solids in this variety.

So, what chocolate suits your fancy? You’ve just received a list of five types to choose from. Whether baking, melting, gifting or eating, there is one just right for the job at hand.