Milk chocolate is one of the most popular forms of chocolate around today. This is down to its sweet taste and its creamy texture. But just how is milk chocolate formed, and how is it different from ordinary chocolate?
What Defines Milk Chocolate
Chocolate is known as ‘milk chocolate’ when it contains at least 10% chocolate liquor, 3.7% milk fats, and at least 20% milk solids. It is also mixed with butter, cocoa, sugar, vanilla and lecithin. The reason it tastes so different from dark chocolate is the fact that it doesn’t have as much chocolate liquor, which is the natural part the chocolate.
How it Differs from Brand to Brand
Not all milk chocolate tastes the same – it all depends upon the bran of the chocolate. Generally European brands have a higher quality chocolate than other places and they tend to contain more chocolate liquor too. If you do want a good quality chocolate, you need to look for brands which are created using only the purest ingredients and no artificial flavourings. One of the main differences between European chocolate and British and American chocolate, is that it uses condensed milk, whereas British and American chocolate contains a milk and sugar mixture instead.
Also, a good quality milk chocolate should be smooth and it should not have a greasy after taste.
Where Milk Chocolate Can Be Used
As mentioned, milk chocolate is best used in chocolate bars because of its sweet flavour. However, it is also commonly used in pastries, confections, and in some desserts. Generally the chocolate is very heat sensitive due to its high sugar content and this means that it melts incredibly easily. Bearing this in mind, some people like to melt their milk chocolate a little before eating it as it does tend to have a luxurious taste once melted. If stored in a really cool, dry place, this form of chocolate can usually be kept for up to one year before it goes funny.
The best brands of milk chocolate tend to be Cadbury’s and they come in a variety of different flavours and textures. Overall though, whichever brand you choose, it should contain no greasy after taste, it should be incredibly smooth, and it should have a lovely, sweet taste to it. If it does not smell of chemicals or taste of chemicals, then you generally have a good variety of milk chocolate.
© Chocs.org.uk 2010
