Real vs. Fake Chocolate

It’s important to know the difference between real and fake chocolate in the kitchen. The fail-safe way to know is to simply flip over the packet and read the ingredients. If it contains cocoa butter, you have real chocolate. However, if the ingredient list includes vegetable fat, then it’s compound chocolate, or as I call it, fake chocolate.

The main difference between vegetable fat and cocoa butter is the melting point. Cocoa butter melts at just below body temperature, which means it melts in your mouth, allowing the chocolate flavor to hit your taste buds. In comparison, the higher melting point of vegetable fat means that compound chocolate doesn’t melt quickly at body temperature, instead leaving a fatty layer on the roof of your mouth, with the result that less flavor reaches your taste buds before you swallow it.