Types of Chocolate

Guides to different chocolate varieties and their uses in cooking and baking. Articles cover taste profiles, cocoa content and suitable applications for each type.

About Bitter Chocolate

Bitter chocolate contains over 35% cocoa liquor and works best in baking when you need control over sweetness and flavor.

About Cocoa

Cocoa powder is a versatile ingredient made from roasted beans that adds chocolate flavor to baking, drinks, and desserts.

About Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate needs at least 25% cocoa solids in the EU but only 10% in the US, and it's too heat-sensitive for most baking.

Decorator's and Confectioner's Chocolate

Decorator's chocolate melts fast and sets hard, making it ideal for cake decorating, though real chocolate tastes better.

Drinking Chocolate: History and Recipes

The Aztecs created hot chocolate centuries ago, and you can make their spiced version at home with this simple recipe.

Fairtrade Chocolate

Child labour remains widespread on cocoa farms in Africa despite industry promises, and buying Fairtrade chocolate is one way to help stop it.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Semi-sweet chocolate sits between milk and bitter chocolate, with less sugar than milk chocolate but more than pure cocoa solids.

The World's Most Expensive Chocolates

Some of the world's most expensive chocolates cost hundreds of dollars and require reservations years in advance.

Using Baking Chocolate

Baking chocolate is unsweetened cocoa liquor cooled into blocks, designed for cooking rather than eating straight from the wrapper.

White Chocolate

White chocolate is made from cocoa butter and milk solids rather than cocoa, making it caffeine-free and popular with those who dislike regular chocolate.