How Many Types of Chocolate Are There?

Four basic types of chocolate come from the cacao bean after its oils (cacao butter) have been removed: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate and couverture chocolate. The fat-free remnants are called cacao solids.

Dark Chocolates

Baker's chocolate is 100 percent cacao solids and cacao butter. Good, dark eating chocolate usually has about 60 percent cacao solids minimum, including a minimum of 31 percent cacao butter mixed back in. The remainder of dark eating chocolate is composed of sugar and vanilla.

Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate contains from 11 to 20 percent cacao solids. Its other ingredients are milk (about 20 percent), flavorings and sugar (up to 65 percent). Milk chocolate is high in lecithin, a vegetable oil used to replace natural cacao butter.

White Chocolate

White chocolate contains no cacao solids. It is made from cacao butter, sugar, flavorings and milk.

Couverture Chocolate

Couverture or coating chocolate is very high in both cacao solids and cacao butter.
It is the chocolate that professional candy makers use. It's also the most heavily processed kind---extra grinding, blending and stirring make a smooth, flavorful product.

Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder is made of cacao solids, completely defatted and repeatedly ground.
It is treated with alkali to make it more mixable in liquids and to reduce its astringency.

References

• The Chocolate and Coffee Bible; C. Atkinson, M. Banks, C. France, and C. McFadden; 2008
• The New Making of a Cook; Madeleine Kamman; 1997

Resources

• Chocolate.org: About the Cacao Tree