Different types of chocolate should be used for different purposes and not all are good for cooking.
Couverture
This is a top of the range type of chocolate. It is very pure with a high percentage of cocoa butter giving it an excellent flavour. It is usually used for handmade chocolates and decoration. Normally it is tempered before use.
Plain Chocolate (Semi Sweet)
This is the best chocolate to use in desserts, cakes, etc but you must check the percentage of cocoa solids which vary in plain chocolate from 30% to 70%. The higher the percentage, the better the flavour.
Milk Chocolate
This popular chocolate is quite low in cocoa solids, only containing about 20%, and it is sweeter than plain chocolate. Generally, it should not be used for cooking.
White Chocolate
This chocolate gets its flavour from cocoa butter because it contains no cocoa solids. If you use it in cooking or for decorating, you must melt it very carefully.
Chocolate Chips
Normally used mixed in cakes, either big ones or individual ones. They can also be used as decoration.
Cocoa
This is an easy and economical product to use for giving a chocolate flavour to your cooking. It is made from cocoa mass after the cocoa butter has been removed.
Drinking Chocolate
This is much sweeter than cocoa and is generally not as good to use for cooking. It makes a lovely comforting drink, though, on a cold miserable day!
Other Chocolate Products
Chocolate cake covering: this usually has quite a poor chocolate flavouring and you can make a better covering using ‘real’ chocolate or cocoa.
Tags: chips | chocolate | cocoa | couverture | drinking | milk | plain | semi sweet | types | white
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