Chocolate Today

y the 1990s, chocolate had proven its popularity as a product, and its success as a big business. Annual world consumption of cocoa beans averages approximately 600,000 tons, and per capita chocolate consumption is greatly on the rise. Chocolate manufacturing in the United States is a multibillion-dollar industry. According to Norman Kolpas (1978, p. 106), "We have seen how chocolate progressed from a primitive drink and food of ancient Latin American tribes -- a part of their religious, commerce and social life-- to a drink favoured by the elite of European society and gradually improved until it was in comparably drinkable and, later, superbly edible. We have also followed its complex transformation from the closely packed seeds of the fruit of an exotic tree to a wide variety of carefully manufactured cocoa and chocolate products. Beyond the historical, agricultural and commercial, and culinary sides to chocolate, others: affect on our health and beauty, and inspiration to literature and the arts."

rom the three original chests of cacao beans that Cortes exported to Spain in 1519, the world exports in 1977 were 1.5 million metric tonnes, one fifth of which went to the USA. Even with this massive amount the USA only ranks 10th in the world for consumption: 4.5 kg per head per annum, far behind the number one consumers; the Swiss with 9.5 kg per annum!

nited Kingdom food laws are quite specific about what can and cannot be called 'chocolate'. It is any product that is obtained from cocoa nibs, cocoa mass, cocoa, fat-reduced cocoa or any combination of two or more of these ingredients, with or without extracted cocoa butter and sucrose. Chocolate must contain not less than 35% total dry cocoa solids and not less that 18% cocoa butter.

t is the cocoa solids that give the chocolate its rich flavour and the amounts included in the recipe vary with different brands, giving them their own characteristic taste. Milk chocolate may contain a minimum of 14% milk solids or 20% as in Cadbury's Dairy Milk.

here is another range of products popularly referred to as 'cooking chocolates' many of which in fact should be called 'chocolate flavoured cake coverings' because they do not contain cocoa butter. Vegetable fats are used as economic alternatives and this alters not only their taste and texture but also their melting properties.

hocolate is a recipe product and different traditions and tastes have developed in different countries of the world. Plain chocolate is the most popular on the continent and their chocolate has a higher level of cocoa solids giving it a much stronger flavour. Milk chocolate is the preferred choice in the UK, while the Americans favour dark chocolate with the smoky flavours of South American beans.

nother important difference between the recipe traditions of continental and UK chocolates is the kind of milk used. Continental manufacturers use dried milk powder, often mixed with whey powder while in the UK the very best milk chocolate is made with fresh milk. It is the special flavours produced when fresh milk, cocoa mass and sugar are cooked together in the first stages of the chocolate making process that give Cadbury's Diary Milk its very special taste.