Chocolate is a product made from cocoa beans and sugar. This product with high calorie content and high nutritional value has an unforgettable taste and captivating aroma. Six hundred years have passed since its discovery. During this period he underwent a serious evolution. To this day, there are a large number of forms and types of products from cocoa beans. Therefore, there was a need for the classification of chocolate.
Basic product systematization
Cocoa products provide energy to the body and reduce overall fatigue. They are combined in two groups:
- Cast chocolate products.
- Powdered products.
In whatever form chocolate is, it is pleasant to use it with tea and coffee.
Chocolate classification is based on the following criteria:
- content of cocoa products;
- formulation and processing method;
- structure;
- release form.
The range of types of chocolate and products from it is quite extensive. These are chocolates, tiles, pastes, creams, drinks and much more. But all of the above is clearly grouped based on regulatory documents relating products to one or another category.
By the content of cocoa products
The amount of cocoa butter and grated cocoa is an important indicator of the quality of chocolate. The higher the better. High quality - high and price. Good chocolate is not cheap. Therefore, the first criterion for classifying chocolate is the amount of cocoa liquor. From here chocolate happens:
- bitter;
- dessert (semi-bitter);
- dairy.
The best kind of chocolate is considered bitter. It has a small amount of sugar and no milk, the cocoa content is 55% and higher. The taste of such a product is saturated, brackish with bitter taste. Expensive brands of dark dark chocolate include more fat, due to this, the calorie content of the product increases.
In dessert chocolate, the content of grated cocoa ranges from 35 to 55%. This species is most popular. When it comes to chocolate, they usually mean dessert, and it is considered classic. Various kinds of fillings are boldly added there.
Milk chocolate contains a significant amount of sugar and dried milk, but grated cocoa contains up to 35%, which reduces the usefulness and value of the product. This chocolate is not so healthy, but very high-calorie.
According to the recipe and processing method
It all depends on the quality of the raw materials and the level of grinding of the cocoa tree beans. The best is considered a group of cryollo varieties with a mild and delicate taste. It is grown in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Varieties of the Forastero group are the most common, they are exported and the production of chocolate masterpieces. The group of cocoa varieties Calabasillo is considered the lowest quality and cheapest.
But for the manufacture of chocolate, varieties of all three groups are used.
Therefore, in this category, chocolate is divided into:
For the preparation of ordinary chocolate, ordinary varieties of cocoa beans are used. Here come the fruits of African cocoa trees and an American variety with a bitter taste and a slightly sour finish.
The production of dessert chocolate is distinguished by the fact that good, noble varieties of beans are used. They have a sophisticated aroma and a very pleasant taste. Such trees cannot boast a generous harvest, their fruits are priced more expensive, which means that the price of the product will be appropriate.
To make dessert chocolate, beans undergo longer and more gentle processing in conching machines. In them, grinding and heating of the chocolate mass occur simultaneously. The duration of the process is from three to five days.
Conching enhances the aroma and taste of chocolate, while the heating temperature is 60 degrees. With this technology of chocolate production, concentration microinhomogeneities are eliminated. Therefore, chocolate melts in the tongue and makes a characteristic sound when broken.
Porous chocolate is produced from dessert chocolate mass, but using a completely different technology. To obtain such a product, other equipment is used (a foaming unit and a vacuum generator), which allows the dessert mass to be saturated with bubbles.
In composition
Classification of chocolate is made by the presence of the ingredients that make up the composition. Based on this, the following categories are distinguished:
- pure chocolate;
- with additives;
- with filling;
- special purpose;
- white.
Pure chocolate is made from grated cocoa, powdered sugar and cocoa butter. Some manufacturers make elite unsweetened chocolate with a content of 99% grated cocoa.
Chocolate with additives can be anything your heart desires:
- different varieties of nuts in any form;
- candied fruit;
- coffee;
- puffed rice;
- waffle chips;
- biscuits;
- dry cream and milk;
- alcohol (cognac, liquor, vodka);
- flavorings.
And so it is with the filling. The choice is quite rich, and will satisfy different tastes of consumers:
- Chocolate
- nutty;
- fruit and jelly;
- dairy;
- fondant;
- creamy.
The amount of filling sometimes exceeds 50% of the mass of the chocolate bar itself.
Special Purpose Chocolate:
- for diabetics - sugar is replaced by sorbitol and xylitol;
- for commandos - chocolate is saturated with vitamins and special additives.
White chocolate is the most high-calorie of all. It does not have grated cocoa, but only cocoa butter, milk powder, powdered sugar and vanillin, so it has a cream color.
According to the form of release
The process of forming a chocolate product resembles the smelting of a precious metal or jewelry. In both cases, molten mass is poured into pre-cooked molds. Chocolate in shape is also different:
Figured chocolate is produced in the form of hollow or solid chocolate figures (animals, insects, fairy-tale characters).
Bar chocolate has a weight of 10-250 grams and is poured into special forms in the form of tiles.
Patterned - flat figures, usually they are sold in sets for different holidays.
Chocolate powder
This is one of the purest types of chocolate, which is a product of ground cocoa butter after squeezing cocoa butter and grated cocoa beans. It looks like a dry brown mixture, bitter in taste. On its basis, cocoa drinks are prepared, chocolate foundation for the cake and delicious creams are made.
Children are especially partial to chocolate. The smudged face of the baby causes emotion and a smile, but what kind of chocolate can children have?
Tips for parents from nutritionists
Do not forget that chocolate is an allergen. Therefore, it is better to give the child milk milk. The reduction in its content of cocoa products provides a pleasant and delicate taste.
The fat content in such chocolate and chocolate products is minimized by the inclusion of cream or milk powder in its composition.
Chocolate for a child should not contain fillers or additives. The simpler the composition, the less likely there is an allergy. Of the food additives in the composition of chocolate, there can only be lecithin - this is an emulsifier (designated as E322).
No matter how attractive and alluring chocolate figures are, it is worth familiarizing themselves with their composition, and only then give it to the child.
Dating rules
At what age can a child be treated to chocolate? Up to a year is better to abstain. But when parents dare, it is worth being careful.
Acquaintance with the product happens very carefully: a small portion at the beginning of the day. If rashes appear on the skin, you should forget about chocolate for now. If the acquaintance with the delicacy was successful, then sometimes you can please the child with a piece of chocolate.
It so happens that you have to give up treats. It is necessary to exclude chocolate from the baby’s diet if:
- there are disorders of carbohydrate metabolism;
- diagnosed with diabetes;
- defined lactase deficiency in a child;
- there is a tendency to fullness;
- sedentary lifestyle.
The product itself does not contain health-essential elements that need to be supplemented by a child’s diet. This is just a treat to pamper your dear baby.
Both adults and children love chocolate. There are aged wines or brandy in the world, but there is no aged chocolate. If chocolate fell into your hands, you should not put it off until tomorrow, you need to eat it today and get a lot of pleasure from it.