Chocolate is not just a sweet treat. It is a complex ingredient whose flavour, aroma, texture and range of uses are influenced by its composition and how it is processed. But when you start reading labels or recipes, you’ll easily come across terms such as cocoa solids, couverture, conching and tempering.
What exactly do they mean? And how can you tell which chocolate is suitable for cake batter, which for a glaze, and which for making pralines? We’ve put together an overview of the most important chocolate terms, which will help you find your way around much more easily the next time you’re shopping or baking.
The basic building blocks of chocolate
To understand the differences between the various types of chocolate, we first need to look at what they’re actually made from.
Cocoa beans
Cocoa beans are the seeds found inside the fruit of the cocoa tree. After harvesting, they undergo fermentation and drying, which are essential for developing the chocolate’s future flavour. They are then cleaned, roasted and shelled.
Inside the beans are cocoa nibs. Grinding these produces cocoa mass – the basic ingredient for making chocolate. Fermentation, roasting and the origin of the beans all have a significant influence on the final flavour, which may be reminiscent of, for example, fruit, nuts, spices or flowers.
Cocoa mass
Cocoa mass, sometimes also referred to as cocoa paste or cocoa liquor, is produced by finely grinding roasted cocoa beans. Although it is called ‘liquor’, it contains no alcohol.
Cocoa mass naturally combines the two basic parts of the bean:
- cocoa butter
- the defatted cocoa fraction
During grinding, the cocoa butter begins to be released, transforming the originally solid fragments into a thick, liquid mass. This can be further processed into chocolate or, by pressing, separated into cocoa butter and cocoa cake, from which cocoa powder is produced.
Cocoa mass should therefore not be confused with cocoa solids. Cocoa mass is a specific raw material produced by grinding the beans, whilst cocoa solids is a figure expressing the total amount of cocoa components in a product.
Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter is a natural fat found in cocoa beans. It has a pale yellow colour, a delicate cocoa aroma and significantly influences the texture of chocolate.
It is cocoa butter that ensures that properly made chocolate is solid at room temperature but melts pleasantly and quickly in the mouth. It also affects its shine, crunch, fluidity during processing and overall sensation on the tongue.
In some chocolates, additional cocoa butter is added on top of that naturally present in the cocoa mass. This allows the manufacturer to adjust, for example, the chocolate’s fluidity depending on whether it is intended for making bars, pralines, fillings or coatings.
In some confectionery coatings, however, cocoa butter is replaced by another vegetable fat. Such a product behaves differently to chocolate when worked with and generally does not require tempering.
Cocoa solids
Cocoa solids are among the most commonly misunderstood terms in the world of chocolate. Many people think of them simply as cocoa powder or the dark part of the cocoa bean. In reality, the term has a broader meaning.
Total cocoa solids comprise all the cocoa components contained in the product, namely:
- cocoa butter
- defatted cocoa solids
In other words: the total percentage of total cocoa solids includes not only the dark, defatted part of the cocoa, but also the fat derived from cocoa beans. European regulations treat these components separately and specify their minimum quantities for individual categories of chocolate.
What do the percentages on the packaging mean?
If, for example, the packaging states 70% cocoa, this means that 70% of the product consists of cocoa ingredients. These may be cocoa mass, added cocoa butter or cocoa powder.
This does not therefore automatically mean that the chocolate contains 70 per cent cocoa mass alone. Two chocolates with the same percentage may have different ratios of cocoa mass to cocoa butter, and consequently different flavours, intensities, bitterness and textures.
The remainder of the product usually consists of sugar and, depending on the type of chocolate, may also include milk ingredients, an emulsifier, vanilla or other additives.
A higher percentage of cocoa generally means a more intense cocoa flavour and a lower sugar content, but this alone is not the sole indicator of quality. The origin of the beans, their processing, the recipe and the quality of all the ingredients used are also important.
Terminology in the kitchen and confectionery workshop
In recipes and shops, you may come across several names for chocolate products. Although they may look similar at first glance, they do not behave in the same way when melted or further processed.
Couverture
Coating chocolate is primarily intended for professional confectionery use. Compared to standard bar chocolate, it usually has a higher cocoa butter content and is therefore more fluid when melted.
Thanks to its fluidity, it easily forms a thin and even layer. It is suitable, for example, for:
- coating pralines
- making chocolate shells
- drizzling over desserts
- dipping fruit and sweets
- making decorations
- working with chocolate moulds
For dark couverture, European terminology stipulates a minimum of 31% cocoa butter. For milk couverture, the total fat content – that is, cocoa butter and milk fat – must be at least 31%.
However, a higher fat content does not mean that the couverture is greasier or of lower quality. Cocoa butter is a natural component of couverture, and it is precisely its quantity that helps determine how the melted chocolate will flow and for which uses it is best suited.
To ensure the resulting coating is glossy, firm and has a pleasant crunch, the couverture must be properly tempered before use.
Cocoa coating, or compound
Cocoa coating may resemble chocolate in taste, colour and use, but its fat content is usually different. Some or most of the cocoa butter is replaced by another vegetable fat.
The advantage of these coatings is usually that they are easier to work with. They simply need to be melted and used, without the need to follow a precise tempering curve. They also often set quickly and may be suitable for products where practicality, stability or ease of handling are the main priorities.
However, it is important to bear in mind that they melt differently on the tongue than chocolate containing cocoa butter. The resulting flavour, aroma, shine and crunch may also differ. Vegetable fats are used in these products partly because of their cost and the ability to achieve the desired melting characteristics.
It is not the case that couverture is always the right choice and chocolate coating never is. It depends on the specific product, the production process, the expected result and the time available.
Ruby chocolate
Ruby chocolate captivates with its natural pink to reddish hue and fresh flavour, featuring fruity and slightly tart notes. Its characteristic colour and flavour are achieved through the selection of suitable cocoa beans and a specific processing method, not by adding pink colouring or forest fruits.
In confectionery, ruby chocolate is used, for example, in pralines, bars, coatings and decorations. However, when working with it, it is more sensitive to light, moisture and certain other ingredients, which can affect its colour.
Blond chocolate
Blond chocolate has a golden to caramel hue and a flavour reminiscent of biscuits, caramelised milk or salted caramel.
In terms of composition, it is generally a modified white chocolate made from cocoa butter, milk ingredients and sugar. Its colour and flavour are created through heat treatment, during which caramel and biscuit notes develop. It is therefore not a separate basic type of chocolate in the legal sense, but a specific variant of white chocolate.
Production and processing: making the chocolate shiny and crunchy
The right composition is only part of the result. The processing of the chocolate – both in production and in the confectioner’s kitchen – is equally important.
Tempering
Tempering, sometimes also referred to as pre-crystallisation, is the controlled heating, cooling and gentle reheating of chocolate.
Cocoa butter can form several different types of crystals as it sets. The purpose of tempering is to encourage the formation of the stable crystals that give the finished chocolate its desired properties.
Properly tempered chocolate:
- has a smooth and glossy surface
- crunches pleasantly when broken
- comes away easily from the mould
- sets quickly and evenly
- does not melt immediately on contact
- is more resistant to the formation of a grey or whitish coating
Tempering is therefore not an unnecessarily complicated confectionery ritual. It is a method of controlling the crystallisation of cocoa butter to achieve a professional result.
The specific temperatures vary depending on the type and composition of the chocolate. Dark, milk and white chocolate therefore do not have the same tempering curve. When working with chocolate, it is always best to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Conching
Conching is an important part of chocolate production. During this process, the chocolate mass is intensively stirred, kneaded, heated and aerated for a certain period of time.
This process helps to:
- reduce moisture content
- reduce certain undesirable volatile and acidic notes
- distribute the fat evenly amongst the solid particles
- refine the flavour profile
- create a smoother sensation on the tongue
The duration and method of conching may vary depending on the specific recipe and the desired result. However, longer conching does not automatically mean better chocolate – the aim is to achieve a balanced flavour and the correct consistency for the product in question.
Origin and certification: how to read chocolate packaging
As well as the percentage of cocoa and the list of ingredients, packaging also features information on the origin of the beans, the production method or certification. What do these actually tell us?
Single Origin
The ‘Single Origin’ label usually means that the cocoa used to make the chocolate comes from a single country, area, region, plantation or specific harvest.
Just as with coffee or wine, cocoa from different areas can have a distinctive flavour profile. One chocolate might feature fruity and floral notes, whilst another might highlight nuts, spices, wood or a pronounced cocoa bitterness.
However, the term ‘Single Origin’ is not automatically a sign of higher quality. It primarily indicates the origin of the raw material and allows one to better appreciate its specific character.
Bean-to-bar
‘Bean-to-bar’ refers to a production method in which a single manufacturer processes cocoa beans all the way through to the finished chocolate bar.
In this way, they control, for example:
- the selection of beans
- roasting, crushing and grinding
- formulation
- refining and conching
- tempering
- moulding and packaging
This labelling is often found among smaller artisan producers. However, it does not in itself determine the taste or quality of the chocolate. What matters is which beans the producer uses and how well they manage the individual production stages.
Fairtrade
Fairtrade certification focuses on economic, social and environmental conditions within the supply chain. Its rules apply to both grower organisations and traders and companies that work with certified raw materials.
The system includes, for example, the Fairtrade minimum price where applicable, and the Fairtrade premium, which is earmarked for projects whose use is decided by the farmers themselves and their organisations.
With chocolate, it is always a good idea to read the accompanying information next to the logo. Certification may cover cocoa or multiple raw materials, and in some cases the scheme may use the mass balance principle.
Rainforest Alliance and UTZ
The logo featuring a green frog indicates that the raw material has been certified under the Rainforest Alliance scheme. The certification rules focus on more sustainable agricultural practices, nature conservation, and the working and living conditions of those involved in production.
For chocolate products, certification usually applies to the cocoa, not automatically to all other ingredients.
In the past, you may also have often come across the UTZ label. The UTZ certification programme has gradually been integrated into the Rainforest Alliance programme, which is why the joint Rainforest Alliance label now predominates on newer products.
Organic
The European ‘Bio’ label, or organic production label, indicates that the product has been produced in accordance with the rules of organic farming and has been inspected by an authorised certification body.
On packaged organic food produced in the European Union, you will find the green European leaf-shaped logo, the code of the inspection body and information on the origin of the agricultural raw materials. A product bearing this logo must contain at least 95 per cent organic agricultural ingredients and meet other specified conditions.
Organic certification focuses primarily on farming methods. It is not the same as Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance, as each of these certifications pursues slightly different objectives.
You can find further information in this article Read
You’ll now understand chocolate labels
Cocoa mass is not the same as cocoa solids. A 70 per cent chocolate does not necessarily contain 70 per cent cocoa mass. Couverture is more fluid due to its higher cocoa butter content, whilst cocoa coating containing vegetable fat is usually easier to work with. Tempering, in turn, determines whether the chocolate will be glossy, firm and have a lovely crunch.
Once you understand the meaning of these basic terms, you can choose chocolate not only by the number on the front of the packet, but above all by its composition and intended use.
