Various Cacao Products

Coating

A commonly available cacao product is coating. Chocolate coatings may not legally be labeled as “chocolate”, but must be labeled as coatings. These are chocolate-like products that contain additional ingredients not permissible in chocolate, most commonly vegetable fats, usually hydrogenated, and bulking agents. The primary advantage of coatings is the vegetable fat they contain, which makes it unnecessary to temper them. Chocolate coatings are often less expensive than fine-quality chocolate, but do not have the same melting characteristics or flavor that chocolate does. European varieties of coatings are labeled as pate a glacer.

Couverture

A common term in chocolate marketing, the French word couverture translates roughly as coating. Couverture is recognized and controlled in European Union regulations, but has no legal standing in American chocolate manufacturing. European dark chocolate labeled as couverture as very similar guidelines as American chocolate, except that it must contain at least 35 percent cacao and 31 percent fat; dark couvertures nearly always contain a much greater cacao content than the minimum required. In dark couverture, the fat is almost always 100 percent cocoa butter, although the addition of 5 percent vegetable fat is permitted under EU guidelines provided this is clearly stated on the label. Much like the allowable butterfat in American dark chocolate this optional fat is not added to the highest-quality products from Europe. The fat content of milk and white couverture consists of the combination of cocoa butter with the milk fat found in the dry milk in those products.

Chocolate Percentage

Much of the dark and milk chocolate sold indicates a percentage on the label. While a great deal has been made of this number in recent years, surprisingly few professionals seem to understand the number, its significance, or what it does and does not tell us about the chocolate.

Simply put, the percentage listed on a label describes the portion of the chocolate that came from the cacao tree. In the case of dark chocolate, virtually all of the remaining ingredients consist of sugar. The percentage of chocolate represents the combination of chocolate liquor and cocoa butter, but fails to differentiate between them. As a result, two chocolates, each of them labeled 65 percent, can be radically different from each other. One of those chocolate may contain 65 percent chocolate liquor and no additional cocoa butter. That chocolate would be strongly flavored, and would have a higher viscosity. The other might contain 50 percent of chocolate liquor with an additional 15 percent of cocoa butter added. That chocolate would be less intensely flavored and of a much lower viscosity.

The percentage provided on the label gives the confectioner an idea of the relative sweetness of the product but says nothing of other aspects of the flavor profile. Currently there is great interest in high-percentage chocolates. Considering their potential for having very full cacao flavor, this is understandable. However, the percentage tells the confectioner nothing about the quality of the cacao in the chocolate. Therefore, it is entirely possible to have a poor-quality 75 percent chocolate that doesn’t exhibit the flavor of a fine-quality 60 percent chocolate.

The cocoa solid content of milk chocolate is even more nebulous because in milk chocolate, there are milk solids in addition to the sugar, cocoa butter, and chocolate liquor. In selecting chocolate for various uses, the confectioner must always let his palate be his guide.

Selecting Chocolate

In the United States, the manufacturing and labeling of chocolate is closely controlled by government regulations, and labels can provide a good deal of information for those who know how to interpret them. No label, however, has ever defined the flavor or quality of the chocolate that the package contains; this crucial step is up to the confectioner. Years ago, it was virtually impossible to find American-made world-class chocolate; it simply did not exist. Happily, this situation has changed, and several American manufacturers are now making chocolate that equals the best-quality couverture from anywhere in the world.

The selection of chocolate for specific uses in artisan confectionery is based on balancing several criteria, primarily: flavor, viscosity, and economics. The number of chocolates that a confectioner chooses to use in his repertoire can vary widely, but most artisan confectioners are no longer satisfied to have simply one dark chocolate, one milk chocolate, and one white chocolate. Instead, most use several different chocolates for specific applications.

Flavor

The flavor of chocolate is of primary concern to the artisan confectioner. It is not enough to decide if a chocolate tastes good. In matching a chocolate to a specific use, flavor nuances must also be taken into account. A chocolate with fruity flavor notes might be more appropriate with a fruit-flavored ganache, while a dark-roasted, earthy chocolate might better complement a hazelnut gianduja. Although high-percentage chocolates have an important place in confectionery, a lower-percentage, lower-roast chocolate might be just right to make a delicately infused lavender ganache in order to allow the light, floral aroma to shine through. That high-percentage chocolate may be better used to stand up to the bold impact of liquor cordial. Matching the right chocolate to individual flavors is an important step in fine-tuning confections, and can be an effective marketing tool with knowledgeable consumers.

Viscosity

The viscosity of chocolate is determined primarily by its fat content. Viscosity is a crucial consideration for dipping or enrobing chocolates. For this purpose, the confectioner generally chooses a low-viscosity chocolate, which will provide a thin shell with well-defined corners. Low-viscosity chocolate helps maintain a low ratio of chocolate to center, and prevents the chocolate covering from overpowering the center. A chocolate being used to make ganache or for flavoring fudge does not require the coca butter content that a dipping chocolate needs. In fact, lower cocoa butter content is desirable for this type of application. Cocoa butter does not contribute chocolate flavor, is expensive, and can lead to separated emulsions due to excessive fat.

Economics

In any business, economics play a major role in every decision, and confectionery is no exception. By the very nature of their business, artisan confectioners tend to use higher priced products than mass-production manufacturers do. Artisan confections are true luxury items, so it behooves the confectioner to use the best-quality chocolate that he can afford in his market, and to match the right chocolate to the right application to maximize the effects and flavors he seeks. Choosing which chocolates to use in confectionery requires some knowledge of manufacturing and labeling, and a great deal of experimentation with different chocolates, for flavor and working characteristics, and is tempered by the realities of economics. The result of understanding the differences between chocolates, and choosing the right chocolate for each application, is further elevation of the artisan confectioner’s art.