Know the
types of Chocolates and Cocoa Products
We all knew Chocolate is an incredibly popular Muncha round the world of all age groups. Cocoa
products play a role in many different recipes both in Western and Asian
countries. Some of these products are little more than minimally processed
cocoa beans, while others also contain additional ingredients.
Below are the types of Chocolates and related Cocoa Products
1) Baking Chocolate
Baking chocolate was traditionally an unsweetened bar of chocolate used
for baking purposes. Meanwhile, it is easily possible to buy a wide range of
sweetened baking chocolate products too.
These chocolate bars tend to be ‘cheap and cheerful’ options rather than
premium chocolate products, and their affordable pricing reflects this.
One can find 4 different types of Baking chocolate in stores:
·
Unsweetened
·
Bittersweet
·
Semisweet
·
Sweet
Sweet baking chocolate has the highest sugar content, while unsweetened,
as the name suggests, contains no added sugar.
Note : Baking chocolate is a cheap and convenient chocolate bar that may
contain different ratios of cocoa and sugar.
2) Brewed Cocoa
Brewed cocoa is easily an increasingly popular drink made from
ground cocoa beans.
Although it may sound similar, there is a big difference between brewed
cocoa products and regular cocoa powder. For one thing, cocoa powder undergoes
processing that removes a large proportion of the cocoa butter.
In contrast, brewed cocoa products are pure cocoa beans that have been
roasted and then ground into a texture conducive for brewing.
In other words, they are made in the same way as ground coffee products.
Although brewed cocoa is relatively low in caffeine, it contains large amounts
of theobromine.
Brewed cocoa has a rich chocolatey taste, and it contains no calories or
sugars.
Key Point: Brewed cocoa is made in the same way as brewed coffee.
3) Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk is a popular dairy product that combines cocoa powder
with milk, sugar, and thickeners.
Despite being a processed product that combines multiple
ingredients, choclate milk is relatively nutritious.
It does contain added sugar, but it is also a rich source of protein,
and it offers a good range of minerals due to the cocoa content.
Some research has also demonstrated that chocolate milk may have
benefits as a sports recovery drink because the drink is rich in carbohydrates,
protein, and electrolyte minerals.
Key Point: Chocolate milk is a popular (and tasty) dairy drink.
4) Chocolate Spread
Chocolate spread is another popular cocoa-based product.
There is a wide range of chocolate spread products available, and many
of them also contain hazelnuts. Perhaps the most famous of these chocolate
spreads is Nutella.
However, these products tend to consist of sugar and oil mainly, so they
don’t offer the same nutritional benefits as other cocoa products.
For example, according to the USDA, a typical chocolate spread contains
more than 54 grams of sugar per 100 grams (5).
Due to its sugar and oil content, chocolate spread has a soft texture
and a sweet taste.
The product remains spreadable even after refrigeration, and people tend
to use it on bread or wheat-based products like pancakes.
Key Point: Chocolate spread is another popular cocoa product, but it is not
particularly nutritious.
Cocoa butter is simply the pure fat removed
from cocoa beans during their processing. Although it is possible to buy pure
cocoa butter, it is most commonly used for making chocolate bars.
However, cocoa butter is costly, and one of the most expensive isolated
fats. For this reason, many chocolate products use cheaper alternate fats such
as palm oil.
The primary fatty acid in cocoa butter is stearic acid, which is a type
of saturated fat.
Interestingly, stearic acid does not have a significant influence on
lipids/cholesterol. As a result, cocoa butter has a smaller impact on LDL
cholesterol levels compared to other rich sources of saturated fat.
However, it does tend to have slightly more of an effect than olive oil
and other cooking oils because it also contains high amounts of palmitic acid.
Key Point: Cocoa butter is a pure source of fat extracted from cocoa beans.
6) Cacoa Nibs
Cacao nibs are pure cacao beans that have been chopped into small
chunks.
These small pieces of chopped cocoa are often marketed as ‘health food,’
and offers range of nutrients, they have an extremely bitter taste that a
lot of people find it difficult to enjoy.
For instance, they are significantly more bitter than the darkest of dark
chocolate bars, as they are 100% pure cacao.
Due to their crunchy texture, cacao nibs also work well in homemade
trail mixes or as an ingredient in yogurts and desserts.
Key Point: Cacao nibs are 100% chopped cacao beans. These nibs are very
nutritious, but they’re also very bitter.
7) Cocoa Powder
After extracting cocoa butter from cacao beans, the remaining cocoa mass
undergoes a drying process. Following this, it is then ground, the result of
which is cocoa powder. Since it is has a lower fat content, cocoa powder is
more nutrient-dense. In other words, it contains higher proportions of vitamins
and minerals than cacao nibs.
Among these nutrients, cocoa powder is an especially significant source
of magnesium, manganese, and copper.
Cocoa powder is also one of the most significant dietary sources of
flavonoid polyphenols. Polyphenols are bioactive compounds that may offer
several health benefits.
Cocoa powder can be used to make homemade chocolate drinks, and it is
often a popular ingredient for recipes/baking.
Key Point: Cocoa powder is a nutrient-rich cocoa product that also contains
high amounts of polyphenols.
8) Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate tends to be made from three main ingredients: cocoa mass,
cocoa butter, and sugar. However, it may also contain extra ingredients such as
flavorings and emulsifiers.
Also, dark chocolate can range from containing extremely high amounts of
cocoa mass to relatively moderate levels.
For example, the FDA in the United States mandates that ‘bittersweet’
dark chocolate must have a minimum cocoa content of 35%. On the other hand, the
darkest bars may have a cocoa content approaching 100%.
Dark chocolate may have a range of nutritional
benefits, but the exact cocoa percentage is important.
For example, dark chocolate bars with a higher cocoa percentage offer
more polyphenols, fiber, and essential minerals like magnesium.
In contrast, bars with a lower cocoa percentage will contain higher
amounts of sugar at the expense of these other nutrients.
Depending on the specific cocoa content, dark chocolate can range in taste
from relatively sweet (35-70%) to extremely bitter (90% +).
Key Point: Dark chocolate can contain varying amounts of
sugar and cocoa depending on the specific bar. However, it tends to be quite
nutrient-rich, and it has a bitter taste compared to milk chocolate.
9) Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate is another popular cocoa product, and it is sometimes also
referred to as ‘drinking chocolate.’ The product is a pre-mixed chocolate
powder that makes an instant drink, and it typically contains cocoa powder,
sugar, and milk powder.
Hot chocolate is an instant drink that just requires the addition of hot
water or hot milk. It has a very sweet taste as it usually contains high
amounts of sugar.
For example, a typical hot chocolate powdered mix made by Nestle
contains 60% sugar by weight. Nutritionally, homemade hot chocolate made with
cocoa powder or dark chocolate is probably the better option.
That said, hot chocolate offers a sweet milk chocolate bar-like taste
for those who prefer it.
Key Point: Hot chocolate is a sweet pre-mixed drink made
from cocoa powder, sugar, and milk powder.
10) Milk Chocolate
Milk chocolate bars feature a combination of cocoa solids, sugar, and
milk powder.
In the United States, milk chocolate bars must contain a minimum of 10%
cocoa mass as mandated by the FDA.
Milk chocolate contains far higher levels of sugar than darker varieties
of chocolate, which some people feel is a health concern. On this note, a
typical bar of milk chocolate contains more than 50% sugar by weight.
That said, milk chocolate still provides a decent range of vitamins and
minerals. Notably, it contains a higher amount of calcium than dark chocolate
due to the milk it contains.
Key Point: Milk chocolate is a very popular type of
chocolate around the world. It contains larger amounts of milk powder and sugar
and therefore has a sweet taste.
11) White Chocolate
Interestingly, white chocolate contains no cocoa solids. In fact, the only product from the cocoa bean
that it contains is cocoa butter.
Regarding its ingredients profile, white chocolate features a
combination of cocoa butter, sugar, and milk powder.
Since it only contains cocoa fat, white chocolate is lower in vitamins
and minerals than other types of chocolate.
White chocolate also tends to have the highest sugar content among
chocolate bars, with almost 60 grams of sugar per 100 grams.
The fact that white chocolate contains no cocoa mass gives it a much
sweeter and creamier taste than other chocolate bars.
First, the lack of cocoa removes any hints of bitterness, and the extra
milk solids and sugar increase the sweetness. For this reason, white chocolate
tends to be especially popular with young children.
Key Point: White chocolate is a popular, sweet and
creamy type of chocolate.
Conclusion
There are many different chocolate and cocoa-based products around the
world. This list of eleven options features some of the most popular of these
choices.
For those who are looking for potential nutritional and health benefits:
dark chocolate, cacao nibs, cocoa powder, and brewed cacao probably offer the
most benefits with fewer drawbacks.
For people mainly interested in the taste of chocolate, all these
options have their own unique properties and taste and individual medical
health status and also subject to their Physician’s advice.
Content courtesy:
NUTRITION ADVANCE
Brought to you by:
ETHNIC & PURE OIL AND FOODS
Chennai, INDIA
91-98844 29812
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