Good chocolate: its qualities and composition

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

For many, chocolate is a happy food. Perhaps this is so. After all, a slice of bitter, milk or white chocolate can improve mood and make the world around us kinder and brighter. Many will agree that with a cup of hot drink, any problems fade into the background and do not seem so global. The ancient Aztecs called chocolate the food of the gods. But this product stimulates the production of endorphins - hormones of happiness. However, only good chocolate, consisting of natural products, has such qualities. The range of this product is quite large, but it is not always possible to find a quality delicacy. So, which chocolate is better to buy and what to look for when choosing it?

Benefits of chocolate

According to scientists, the regular use of this product in small quantities helps to avoid the occurrence of certain ailments. With the help of chocolate, you can prevent the development of dementia in old age. In addition, the treat can increase the production of blood cells.

Do not abuse chocolate. As studies show, it is enough to consume only 25 grams of the product per day to get the benefits. For medicinal purposes, it is worth using high-quality dark chocolate.quality.

According to cardiologists, chocolate can fully replace coffee. This product is much he althier for the heart. Because cocoa beans contain polyphenols. These substances have a positive effect on the work of the cardiovascular system, and also promote blood flow. And this is very important. After all, such a phenomenon can significantly reduce the main load on the heart.

What to look out for

Today on the shelves of many stores there is chocolate from many manufacturers. However, not all consumers know what distinguishes a quality product. Some treats can't even be called chocolate. The main key leading to unraveling is packaging. To buy good chocolate, you need to carefully study the composition. Of course, many manufacturers print important information in small print. But it is the composition that will allow you to make the right choice. Therefore, it is worth spending an extra 15 minutes to buy real chocolate, and not a simple confectionery sweet bar. So what should the product contain?

Good chocolate contains cocoa butter. The product should not contain other confectionery fats. If chocolate contains cottonseed, sunflower, soybean or palm oil, then you should not buy such a delicacy. Many manufacturers strive to make a product that was more attractive in terms of price for consumers. It is for this reason that cheap raw materials are added to the composition, which is a substitute or equivalent of cocoaoils.

Substitute and equivalent

Good chocolate contains cocoa butter. Other confectionery fats are its substitutes or equivalents. It is worth understanding these two concepts.

In terms of chemical properties, the equivalent is very close to cocoa butter. However, the taste of the delicacy containing this component is much inferior to the natural product. Good quality chocolate melts quickly in your mouth, leaving a pleasant aftertaste. This is achieved through cocoa butter. The melting point of this product is 32°C.

Chocolate, which contains the equivalent of cocoa butter, will also melt quickly in your mouth. However, the taste of the delicacy will be less tart, not so pleasant and unsaturated. Despite this, a product with such a composition has the right to be called chocolate.

If in a delicacy cocoa butter is replaced with cottonseed, vegetable, palm, soybean oil or Eleksan fat, then there are doubts about its naturalness. Do not succumb to the stories of manufacturers who call a similar product chocolate. This is a normal confectionery tile. This delicacy will not melt in your mouth. The taste of such a product is far from real chocolate. The main advantage of confectionery tiles is their low cost.

Lecithin in the composition

Very often in the list of ingredients you can see lecithin. Many don't even know what it is. Good chocolate will contain this ingredient. After all, lecithin is very useful for the human body and is even irreplaceable. This substance is found in protectivemembranes of the brain. It is worth noting that human muscle and nerve cells are 17% composed of lecithin. However, most of this substance is destroyed during emotional and physical stress. The lack of lecithin very often leads to constant irritability and fatigue. If you do not replenish its reserves, memory may deteriorate greatly.

Which chocolate is best: white, milk or bitter

Today you can buy almost any chocolate. It can be white, black, milky, with nuts, with dried fruits and with various sweets. To understand which chocolate is better, you need not only to understand its composition, but to clearly understand what components this product consists of. The main ingredient is cocoa beans. They are the main raw materials for the manufacture of cocoa butter, cocoa powder and so on. The first few products are used to make real chocolate.

Gorky differs from other varieties of delicacy in its rich taste and unique aroma. It is worth noting that it is this chocolate that is considered the most useful. The product contains a huge amount of tocopherols. These substances give a feeling of joy and lightness. Scientists have proven that it is dark chocolate that relieves fatigue during mental and physical stress, improves blood circulation. In addition, the product has a tonic effect. The basic rule of dark chocolate is a minimum of sugar and a maximum of cocoa. This is what allows you to feel the delicate taste of delicacy, which is not interrupted by milk and other impurities.

Milk chocolate is an ideal product for those with a sweet tooth, but not for connoisseurs of unique taste. Of course, this product also has its advantages. Milk chocolate has a delicate and mild taste. These qualities are given to the product by milk and cream. But a large amount of sugar makes the product very sweet.

Many people are surprised by white chocolate. According to some, this product is simply painted. But it's not. In fact, the best white chocolate consists of white ingredients: cream, milk, cocoa butter, sugar, and so on. This delicacy is fatty, sweet and high-calorie. However, white chocolate also found its fans.

Belgian chocolate

The best dark chocolate comes from Belgium. According to traditions, the composition of the delicacy does not contain various artificial flavors, additives and preservatives. Belgian chocolate contains only natural ingredients, including grated cocoa, cocoa butter, and so on. All ingredients are of high quality. It is worth noting that bitter Belgian chocolate is 72% cocoa liquor.

Almost every city in this country has a factory that produces this delicacy. In addition, you can visit small shops selling handmade dark chocolate. Among the most famous brands of Belgian chocolate, it is worth highlighting:

1. "Neuhaus".
2. "Leonidas".
3. "Gilian".
4. "Godiva".
5. "Wittamer".
6. "Pierre Marcolini".

Belgian chocolate is not sold in ordinary stores, as it does not contain preservatives and other impurities. Storage of this product requires certain conditions.

Swiss chocolate

Switzerland ranks second in the ranking of world chocolate producers. According to statistics, each resident eats about 12 kilograms of this delicacy per year. Among the popular Swiss brands, it is worth highlighting:

1. "Toycher".
2. "Sprungli".
3. "Maestrani".
4. "Frey".
5. "Villaris".
6. "Lindt".

Swiss good chocolate is made from the most expensive raw materials. The composition of the delicacy does not contain chemical additives and preservatives. That is why chocolate does not last very long. The assortment of delicacies is regularly updated in boutiques around the world.

Luxury chocolate from France

France also produces delicious and high-quality chocolate. Gradually, chocolate producers in this country are ousting producers from Belgium and Switzerland. It is worth noting that the French delicacy surprises not only with its unique taste, but also with a combination of products. Some manufacturers equip packaging with sweets and chocolate bars with special sensors that maintain optimal temperature conditions, as well as air humidity. This allows you to keep the treat. Among the popular French brands, it should be noted:

1. "Michel Richard".
2. "MadamSevigne".
3. "Michel Chatillon".

Best Russian chocolate

The best Russian chocolate is made by companies such as:

1. "Victory of taste".
2. "Russia".
3. "Faithful to quality".
4. "Russian chocolate".
5. "Bogatyr".
6. Odintsovo confectionery factory.

The assortment of the company "Fidelity to Quality" is quite large. This manufacturer makes a premium product. This treat contains 99%, 85%, 75% and 65% cocoa liquor.

Russian chocolate factories

The best Russian chocolate is made at several factories of the United Confectioner holding:

1. "Red October".
2. "Rot Front".
3. Concern "Babaevsky".

Products of the last concern impresses with its variety of taste solutions. It produces chocolate with various additives: ginger, candied fruits, nuts, sesame, vitamins. In the manufacture of some varieties of delicacies, sugar substitutes are used. Bitter chocolate, which does not contain impurities and additives, contains 75-87% cocoa liquor.

Concern "Red October" produces delicacies of the famous brand "Slava". The product is available in regular and porous form. This chocolate contains about 80% cocoa liquor.

Factory "Rot Front" produces three varieties of delicacy called "Autumn W altz", which contains 56% cocoa liquor, andSee also:

1. Alcohol.
2. Orange slices.
3. Orange pieces and alcohol.

In closing

The best milk chocolate, bitter or white, doesn't matter if it contains cocoa butter. When choosing a treat, special attention should be paid to the composition. Natural chocolate does not contain vegetable fats, as well as cocoa butter substitutes. A product may only contain its equivalent. If a substitute is present in it, then it cannot be called chocolate. Such a product is called a confectionery tile.

It is also worth remembering that the price of a treat is the main indicator of its quality. Cocoa butter substitutes can reduce the cost of the final product. Naturally, the price of such chocolate is much lower.

A natural product can turn gray over time. The taste of this chocolate is not different from the usual. If the delicacy is covered with “sugar frost”, then it will taste bitter. If the product contains lecithin, then there is no doubt about its usefulness. This component is very important for the normal functioning of the human body. The he althiest chocolate is bitter.