Chocolate

Chocolate is basically made of cacao, cocoa butter, vanilla, sugar, and occasionally milk. The percentages of each of these elements in the chocolate are one of the primary differentiators of one chocolate from another. On chocolate packages these days, producers note the percentage of cacao on the label. The rest of the ingredients in the chocolate make up the remaining percentage.

Chocolates also have particular flavors, depending on the bean and region of origin. The flavors can range from fruity to earthy to coffee or nutty. Chocolates made of a single variety of beans from a particular region emphasize the difference in these flavors. Other chocolates are blends of beans chosen by the chocolatier to achieve a particular flavor profile.