Friday, November 28, 2014

Chocolate: The Categories Every Chef Should Know

By Jennifer Marie Anderson


Chocolate is seen as one of the most appealing ingredients for many chefs. Whether it's a matter of creating pastries, cakes, or what have you, it's clear that chocolate is not only one of the most satisfying ingredients but it could wind up being one of the most versatile. Of course, this is heavily dependent on the type of chocolate used for a certain recipe. In order to understand which chocolate types are the most common, in the culinary arts, here are a few points to mention.

Unsweetened chocolate is the first type that should be recognized. On its own, unsweetened chocolate has a very deep taste but this does not necessarily mean that it will match the tastes of the chocolate that we know it as, on a more common basis. This is why it's important to know that this type of chocolate is used, mostly, for the creation of other recipes. What you may know is that it serves as a tremendous base for different recipes, cakes and brownies included.

Semi-sweet chocolate stands as a level higher, in terms of taste, from unsweetened. Specifically, if you want to be able to use semi-sweet chocolate for more than one purpose, you have the opportunity to do so. Even though this ingredient may be used for baking a variety of sweets, it can just as easily be eaten on its own, since it has enough sweetness to be enjoyed. However, seeing as how its taste is not exactly affected by other ingredients, it's another subtype for chefs to look into.

While everyone's tastes will vary when it comes to white chocolate, it's another option that deserves to be looked into. Even though its lack of true cocoa solids does not allow it to be considered a true type of chocolate, it's easy to see that white chocolate is still favored by a number of chefs. It has a distinct taste compared to standard chocolate, which helps it to stand out already. Whether it is used as a key ingredient or simply icing, white chocolate has its share of advantages as well.

Seeing as how chocolate has its place in cooking, it's important to look at the various subtypes it is made up of. As you can see, each of them possess their own differences, some of them more unique than others. Regardless, you should not set aside one option, since it may very well be the best one to bring the finest tastes out of your sweets. If these options are focused on, it will not be long until your culinary efforts are made that much sweeter.




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