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 What
should you look for in high quality chocolate?
We have put together some facts on chocolate to help our chocolate
connoisseurs know what to look for in high quality chocolate. In today’s
chocolate world chocolate has become analogous with fine wines. Many
varieties of chocolate are available from all different regions of the
world. Most people are under the impression that good chocolate only
comes from Belgium or Switzerland. A true connoisseur of chocolate knows
this to not be true. Available to us today is many different chocolates
that come from not only France and Europe but Africa, Madagascar,
Venezuela, South America, and even the United States.
So, what do you want to look for when sampling or purchasing fine
chocolates? Good quality chocolate should contain the basic ingredients
that constitute high quality chocolate…chocolate liquor, milk, cocoa
butter, sugar, and pure vanilla. A lesser quality chocolate will contain
flavorings, vegetable oils (palm kernel and partially hydrogenated palm
oils), whey, nonfat milk, and something called sorbitan monostearate.
Doesn’t sound like real chocolate to me, but rather a chocolate flavored
assemblage of emulsified fats, flavoring, and preservatives. A high
quality chocolate will usually be high in cocoa content, cocoa butter
and when tempered (the process which melted chocolate goes through in
order to enable it to be used properly) will harden with a shine when
molded, have a beautiful aromatic smell, and give a snap when broken or
bitten into. Don’t be fooled by chocolatiers that use phrases such as
“couverture” or “only Belgium”. All though the Belgium’s do make some
very good chocolate, there is also bad Belgium chocolate. With so many
varieties of chocolate today don’t limit yourself strictly to Belgium
chocolate. Taste and enjoy the many different types of chocolate
available out there. “Couverture” is French for covering. Couverture
chocolate must have a minimum of 32% cocoa butter which enables it to
form a much thinner shell than ordinary confectionery coating. Don’t get
me wrong there is also some very good quality couverture chocolate out
there, just look at the ingredients and cocoa content to know if it is
of high quality. Some chocolatiers use a lesser grade couverture for
their products but try to fool you into thinking it is high quality by
using fancy phrases such as couverture because they think that you most
likely won’t know what that means.
The most common basic types of fillings used in chocolates and truffles
are ganaches, creams or cremes, and caramels. The traditional chocolate
truffle filling is made by taking chocolate and combining it with cream,
butter, and natural flavorings to create a ganache. A chocolate ganache
filling is that soft, melt in your mouth, smooth filling that is so
delicious when you take a bite into a truffle or chocolate. Cremes are
sugar based fillings, not chocolate based. Traditional cremes start with
a fondant which is similar to a sugar paste that consists of sugar, corn
syrup, cream of tartar, cream or milk, water, salt and flavorings. A
true truffle is chocolate based. Caramels are a third type of filling
used in many chocolates. Caramel is typically made with sugar, corn
syrup, cream, butter and salt. Any of these fillings can be prepared by
adding different fruits and nuts or infused with fruits, spices and
herbs. Many artisan chocolates today will create infused fillings with
combinations of spices such as curry, cardamom, basil, thyme, lavender,
pepper, anise, etc., and the list goes on. The combinations and flavors
that can be found in chocolates today are almost incalculable.
If you are a chocoholic and have an appreciation for good chocolate,
take a look at what is out there and open yourself to some truly
exciting taste sensations from some of the chefs and chocolatiers out
there. Keep in mind some of the chocolate knowledge we have given you
and explore chocolate in a whole new way. Enjoy!
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