White chocolate is some people’s idea of heaven and they simply cannot get enough of it. It could be that they absolutely loved it as a kid and that it has been with them ever since, or it could be a recent love affair. Some people even love the taste of it so much that they will not eat any other chocolate because of it.
White chocolate was first brought about in Switzerland shortly after the First World War. Although the FDA doesn’t class this as chocolate, it is actually more expensive to produce than darker chocolate, as it contains a lot more of the expensive cocoa butter in it.
In 1984, people all across America were widely enjoying the taste of white chocolate with nestle bringing out the ‘Alpine white chocolate bar’.
Why is White Chocolate Not Classed as Chocolate?
Well for some people it is a mystery why white chocolate is not classed as ordinary chocolate, as it is not made any different to how they would make dark or milk chocolate. The only difference tends to be the ingredients. The reasoning behind this is that white chocolate does not contain any chocolate liquor whatsoever in it. It is made with cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar lecithin, and also they use flavourings to help to create the unique taste of white chocolate.
The problem with white chocolate is that it is delicate, and it can also burn quite easily. The quality of white chocolate will obviously depend upon the price and the make of it. Lindt chocolate is a good make of white chocolate as it is so full of flavour and it is generally a better quality, so it shows how proper white chocolate should taste.
Another problem with white chocolate is that it can be quite hard to use in cooking, especially if it has been melted as the cocoa butter will split and create an oily substance. This then means that it will have to be discarded. Also, when water mixes with the melted product, it will leave an unusable mess that will also need to be thrown away.
If you buy white chocolate and keep it in a nice cool and dry area, it will keep fresh from six to ten months before losing its quality.
White chocolate can be good for adding to recipes such as to puddings and yoghurts. A good pudding to make is white chocolate mousse with raspberries in it. However, if you do not fancy making your own puddings, you can always buy them ready made from your local supermarket!
So, overall white chocolate may not be classed as chocolate, but that doesn’t stop the thousands of people from enjoying each day!
© Chocs.org.uk 2010
