The Kinds of Chocolate

Appears in

Published 2004

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Manufacturers produce a wide range of different chocolates, some meant for eating as is, some meant for cooking or confectionery, some for all three. They fall into several general categories.

The Different Flavors of Milk Chocolate

The milk chocolates made in Europe, England, and the United States have traditionally had distinct flavors. In continental Europe, where it was invented, milk chocolate is made using dried whole milk powder, which has a relatively fresh milk flavor. In England, the preference has been to mix liquid milk with sugar, concentrate the mixture to 90% solids, mix it with chocolate liquor, and finish drying it into a material called “chocolate crumb.” The milk proteins and sugars undergo browning reactions during the concentration and drying and produce a special cooked-milk, caramelized flavor that isn’t obtained by ordinary drying. And in the United States, large manufacturers have long encouraged their milk fat to undergo some breakdown by fat-digesting enzymes. This breakdown develops a slight note of rancidity, whose cheesy, animal overtones blend well in their own way with chocolate flavor and make a positive contribution to the complexity of flavor.