White chocolate is one of the most popular sweets in the world, we see it in all forms, from whole bars to coatings and flavorings for different recipes. However, it doesn’t smell like a dark or milk chocolate bar, let alone taste like one. So why is it called that and what is it really?
If you have ever asked yourself: Is white chocolate really chocolate? We have to tell you that the answer is no. Technically, it’s not chocolate. It turns out that it cannot be called authentic because it does not contain chocolate solids, which is pure cocoa.
Why white chocolate not chocolate?
White chocolate is a confection made from a mixture of cocoa butter, milk, sugar, milk fat, and lecithin. Cocoa butter is a vegetable fat with a high enough melting point to remain solid at room temperature. For a white chocolate to be marketed, it must contain 20% cocoa butter, 55% sugar, 14% milk solids, and 3.5% fat. In reality, it is nothing more than a derivative or byproduct of chocolate.
And when we talk about health, this product does not have the benefits of the purest cocoa, such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and an extra dose of antioxidants. Although some studies have proven that it is rich in calcium, thanks to the fact that it usually has a high amount of dairy products, and vitamin A.
Another difference between white chocolate and pure chocolate is that the former contains much more sugars and fats, which is why its taste is generally always sweet, unlike dark chocolate, which has different flavors, even bitter, depending on the percentage of cocoa.
What is white chocolate made of
The Nestlé brand was the first to launch a chocolate dressed in immaculate white on the market in 1930 . He named the product Galak , the ancestor of the current Milkybar, which is still marketed under its old name in countries like Venezuela. The list of ingredients of the most famous white ‘chocolate’ tablet reads as follows: sugar, powdered milk (26.4%), cocoa butter, powdered whey, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin) and natural vanilla flavoring . The truth is that at no time is it advertised as chocolate.
In fact, if we translate its trade name, we will see that it cannot be clearer about it: milk bar. It is curious that Nestlé, the main marketing brand and practically its inventor, expressly avoids this name in the product, although many of its competitors do not hesitate to use this name.
But can it be called chocolate?
TECHNICALLY NO, it is actually a derivative or by-product of chocolate, as it does not contain cocoa mass. It is also much richer in sugars and fats. On the other hand, in terms of health, it will never have the beneficial properties for the body that pure cocoa has. Nevertheless, it is rich in calcium, since it contains a large amount of dairy products, and has a higher percentage of vitamin A.
It is common to find products that have the legend “chocolate type” on their label or that the bars are white instead of ivory. This occurs when manufacturers replace cocoa butter , which gives them that characteristic ocher hue, with cheaper vegetable or animal fats.
This does not mean that white chocolate is the worst or bad, there are even some brands that do include a small percentage of cocoa in their formula. Just the next time you have a craving for one, we recommend you take into account the following points: Check its components and ingredients, especially make sure they include cocoa butter and not substitutes.
