Avya Mathur
New Delhi: The World Chocolate Day, also known as the International Chocolate Day, is celebrated annually on July 7 to mark chocolate’s entry into Europe on this day in the year 1550.
The first World Chocolate Day was celebrated in 2009.
Enthusiasts celebrate it by gifting chocolates and related delicacies to their loved ones, believing that it would help them strengthen bonds in relationships.
Researchers say chocolate not only tastes good but could also prove beneficial for the heart, and can uplift mood. It works as a soothing therapy for sore throat, sharpens memory, and protects the brain from ageing, they claim.
The three main types of chocolates consumed by people worldwide are as follows:
White chocolate is called so due to its cream or ivory colour. It is prepared by combining sugar, cocoa butter, milk, vanilla, and lecithin (an emulsifier) that gives the chocolate a signature vanilla aroma and sweet, overpowering taste of sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. It does not contain cocoa solids and instead comprises a soft and creamy texture due to cocoa butter and high milk content.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), white chocolate must contain at least 20 per cent cocoa butter, 14 per cent milk, and not more than 55 per cent sugar. It has a shelf life of 4 months and is often used to add subtle richness by baking and decorating desserts like cookies and cakes.
Milk chocolate is a classic favourite consumed by kids and adults alike. With their light brown shade, creamy texture, and sweet flavour, milk chocolates are the most popular chocolates made by combining chocolate liquor (cocoa solids and cocoa butter) with sugar and milk. Sometimes a soy lecithin emulsifier is added for smoothness.
According to the FDA, milk chocolate must contain at least 10 per cent chocolate liquor and 12 per cent milk. Unlike white chocolate, milk chocolate is characteristically sweeter, and softer than dark chocolate. It has a shelf life of about 16 months if properly stored. It can be consumed as a bar, in a box, like chocolate syrup, or used in baking cakes, brownies, truffles, as waffles, making ice-creams, and many more.
Dark chocolate with its deep brown colour is the second most popular type of chocolate. Less sweet than milk chocolates, it has become popular due to various health benefits. It is made from chocolate liquor and sugar. The USFDA says the dark chocolate must contain at least 15 per cent chocolate liquor but usually has 50 per cent. However, bitter-sweet chocolates contain 66 per cent cocoa content.
The lack of dairy and less sugar gives dark chocolates a firmer texture and makes them vegan-friendly. It also provides a rich and dense taste when used in baking desserts. A favourite snack for most health-conscious consumers, it has a shelf life of about 20 months if stored properly.
In 2017, the fourth type of chocolate was discovered by Belgian chocolate maker, Barry Callebaut, who named it Ruby chocolate. This distinctive chocolate is derived from the ruby cocoa bean found in some parts of South America. Made from 47.5 per cent cocoa and 26.3 per cent milk, Ruby cocoa has fruity and sour flavours and can be used to create some bold, tangy and fruity desserts.
There is no standard FDA definition for Ruby. However, it has a shelf-life of about 12 months if properly stored.