What Kinds of Chocolate are there?

Depending on what is added to (or removed from) the chocolate liquor, different flavours and varieties of chocolate are produced. Each has a different chemical make-up, the differences are not solely in the taste. Be sure, therefore, to use the kind the recipe calls for, as different varieties will react differently to heat and moisture.

Unsweetened or Baking Chocolate

Simply the cooled and hardened version of chocolate liquor. It is used primarily as an ingredient in recipes, or as a garnish.

Bitter Chocolate

When it contains more than 35% chocolate liquor

Semi-sweet chocolate

Also used primarily in recipes. It has 15% chocolate liquor, extra cocoa butter and sugar added. Sweet cooking chocolate is basically the same with more sugar for taste.

Milk chocolate

Is chocolate liquor with extra cocoa butter, sugar, milk and vanilla added. This is the most popular form for chocolate. It is primarily an eating chocolate.

Cocoa

Chocolate liquor with much of the cocoa butter removed, creating a fine powder. It can pick up moisture and odours from other products, so keep cocoa in a cool, dry place, tightly covered.

White chocolate

Somewhat of a misnomer. In the United States, in order to be legally called 'chocolate' a product must contain cocoa solids. White chocolate does not contain these solids, which leaves it a smooth ivory or beige colour.

White chocolate is primarily cocoa butter, sugar, milk and vanilla. There are products on the market that call themselves white chocolate, but are made with vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter. Avoid-these cheap imitations. White chocolate is the most fragile form of chocolate; pay close attention to it while heating or melting it.

Decorator's chocolate or confectioner's chocolate

Isn't really chocolate at all, but a sort of chocolate flavoured candy used for things such as covering strawberries. It was created to melt easily and harden quickly, but it isn't chocolate. If you want quick and easy, use decorator's chocolate. If you want the real thing, use real chocolate and patience.

Couverture

Couverture is a special kind of chocolate that has more cocoa butter than regular chocolate, anywhere from 33% to 38% for a really good brand. This type of chocolate is used as a coating for things like truffles ("couverture" is French for "covering") There are two ways of coating candies, either by hand dipping into melted chocolate or enrobing, gently pouring chocolate over the treat.

-Tallyrand-