I think I should start by saying that the word “white” in the phrase “white chocolate” isn’t necessarily a reference to the color of the chocolate (just the same way “dark” in “dark chocolate” and “milk” in “milk chocolate” have nothing to do with the color of the bar. They give information about the inclusion or not of milk). But rather, the word “white” refers to the absence of brown cocoa solids in the chocolate.
What are brown cocoa solids?
The cocoa bean, generally, is composed of about 51% of fat. This fat is called Cocoa Butter. The other 49% is what I call brown Cocoa Solids or more appropriately, Cocoa Powder. To make cocoa butter (or cocoa powder), cocoa beans are passed through a press. On one hand, you get a light golden oil that solidifies at room temperature and on the other hand, you get cocoa powder! This may all sound fancy but with the right piece of equipment, you can make your own cocoa butter or cocoa powder at home. I got my first press here!
I believe I’ve gone off on a tangent but I’m coming right back to the point which is that brown cocoa solids are simply the cocoa bean without the fat AKA cocoa powder!
True white chocolate
So, what color should white chocolate be? I’d say, certainly not white! The simplest form of white chocolate contains only cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. The combination of these three ingredients in their natural form will make a chocolate bar that is a very pale yellow, off-white, or even cream. Just certainly not a classic or brilliant white.
The fun really does set in when you decide to play with flavor! And the possibilities are limitless! With the availability of freeze-dried fruit and veggie powders, your chocolate can be any color of the rainbow. You’ll get green with matcha, orange with cheddar, yellow with pineapple, pink with strawberries, and blue with spirulina!
The basic white chocolate is the perfect canvas for the artistic chocolate maker. First for color and more importantly, for flavor! Our Sweet Vanilla Coffee is a white chocolate that is unlike anything you’ll find on the shelves of your favorite store. It is a flavor powerhouse with delicious Nigerian coffee and plump, juicy Madagascar vanilla beans blended in.
We combined our Strawberry lemongrass chocolate with a 70% dark chocolate to create a chocolate bar that is as delicious to eat as it is beautiful to look at!
We can’t wait to show more creative ways we make and enjoy all kinds of chocolate!
1 Comment
Ngozi Sulaiman
Hello Uzor, your number fan here. Very informative article. However, are you saying that cocoa powder contains no fat? If this is the case, I may have to indulge without caution. Wishing you an amazing year to surpass the previous one.