Chocolate is a popular gift on Valentine’s Day. According to the Nielsen Company, Valentine’s Day is the third-busiest holiday for chocolate sales, following Halloween and Easter.
More than 70 million pounds of chocolate are purchased each year and offered as Valentine’s Day gifts. Chocolate connoisseurs can learn more about the different types of chocolate to find the one their loved one will find most appealing.
Milk chocolate
Milk chocolate is produced with low levels of cocoa and high amounts of sugar and milk. In addition, it contains cocoa butter and chocolate liquor. Milk chocolate is often made up of 3.39% butterfat, 10% chocolate liquor and 12% milk solids.
Semi-sweet chocolate
Semi-sweet chocolate is largely an American creation and term. It contains at least 35% cocoa solids and is darker than sweet dark chocolate. The amount of sugar varies across brands.
Bittersweet chocolate
Bittersweet chocolate typically contains at least 50% chocolate liquor, but some will have between 70% and 80%. The sugar content is unregulated, so one manufacturer’s bittersweet may not be as bitter as another’s.
Baking chocolate
Also known as bitter chocolate, this is pure chocolate liquor made from ground cocoa beans. It may look like chocolate, but it is used in recipes where it is combined with sugar. It should not be eaten on its own.
White chocolate
White chocolate has cocoa butter but no chocolate liquor or cocoa products. Therefore, it is not truly chocolate.
Candy coating chocolate
This has no cocoa butter and uses vegetable or palm oils in the recipe. It is often used in dipping or enrobing because of its excellent melting ability.
Couverture chocolate
In the United States, the ideal standard for couverture chocolate involves a minimum of 35% cocoa solids and 31% cocoa butter. This chocolate is tempered and used when coating ingredients or dipping items in chocolate.
Chocolate shines on Valentine’s Day. Gift givers can select a chocolate variety that appeals most to their recipients’ palates.
— Metro
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.