Chocolate is a range of foods derived from cocoa (cacao), mixed with fat (i.e., cocoa butter) and finely powdered sugar to produce a solid confectionery. There are several types of chocolate, classified according to the proportion of cocoa used in a particular formulation.

The use of particular name designations is sometimes subject to international governmental regulation. Some governments assign chocolate solids and ranges of chocolate differently.

Terminology

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The cocoa bean[1] (or other alternative) products from which chocolate is made are known under different names in different parts of the world. In the American chocolate industry:

chocolate liquor is the ground or melted state of the nib of the cacao bean, containing roughly equal parts cocoa butter and solids. cocoa butter is the fatty component of the bean. cocoa solids is the remaining nonfat part of the cocoa bean, which is ground into a powder.

Types

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Different forms and flavors of chocolate are produced by varying the quantities of the different ingredients. Other flavours can be obtained by varying the time and temperature when roasting the beans.

 
Milk chocolate has a long tradition
  • Milk chocolate is solid chocolate made with milk, in the form of milk powder, liquid milk, or condensed milk, added. In 1875, Swiss confectioner Daniel Peter, in cooperation with his neighbour Henri Nestlé in Vevey, developed the first solid milk chocolate using condensed milk. The bar was named "Gala Peter", combining the Greek word for "milk" and his name.
  • Dark chocolate[2], also known as "plain chocolate" or "black chocolate", is produced by adding fat and sugar to cocoa to a lower proportion of milk or sometimes none at all. The U.S. has no official definition for dark chocolate. Dark chocolate can be eaten as is, or used in cooking, for which thicker, baking bars, usually with high cocoa percentages ranging from 70% to 99% are sold. Dark is synonymous with semisweet, and extra dark with bittersweet, although the ratio of cocoa butter to solids may vary.
  • White chocolate is made of sugar, milk, and cocoa butter, without the cocoa solids.
  • Raw chocolate" is chocolate that has not been processed, heated, or mixed with other ingredients[3]. It is sold in chocolate-growing countries, and to a much lesser extent in other countries, often promoted as healthy

By country/region

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United States

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the naming and ingredients of cocoa products

Canada

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The legislation for cocoa and chocolate products in Canada is found in Division 4 of the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR), under the Food and Drugs Act (FDA). The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the FDR and FDA (as it relates to food).

European Union

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Products labelled as "Family Milk Chocolate" elsewhere in the European Union are permitted to be labelled as simply "Milk Chocolate" in Malta, the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland.

References

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  1. ^ Callebaut, Barry. "From cocoa to chocolate".
  2. ^ Goldstein, Dara (2015). The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets-. Oxford University Press.
  3. ^ Blogs, Fred (2016). "The raw deal". The Guardian.
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Chocolate history, who invented it?