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Chocolate Guide

Bittersweet - Cocoa mass with the addition of sugar, cocoa butter and sometimes a touch of vanilla. It must contain at least 35 % cocoa mass, though most contain somewhere from 50% to 70% or more. A safe comparison is that bittersweet more cocoa mass than semisweet.

Bloom - the result of improperly stored chocolate. If chocolate is exposed to quick changes in temperature or humidity, some of the fats and/or sugar with dissolve and reappear on the surface. Sugar bloom resembles small beads or an irregular surface, from excessive humidity, such as in the refrigerator.
Fat bloom is caused by excessive heat. Cocoa butter fats melt and then crystallize on the surface of the chocolate. While unsightly, bloom does not affect the taste of chocolate.

Cocao - Spanish word for cocoa; used interchangeably with cocoa referring to trees and the beans.

Chocolate Liquor - see cocoa mass.

Cocoa butter - A natural fat that gives chocolate its unique texture. It is extracted from cocoa mass by hydraulic press. Another characteristic is that the melting point is just below human body temperature, giving a chocolate its smooth melting quality in your mouth, but remains stable at room temperature.

Cocoa Mass - a dark, thick liquid resulting from the grinding of cocoa nibs. It is a little more than 50% cocoa butter.

Croquers de Chocolat Club - Literally "the munchers-of-chocolate club," our subscription to our chocolates of the month.

Cocoa Nibs - skinned or shucked cocoa beans, they yield cocoa butter and cocoa mass.

Cocoa Powder - Cocoa mass that has all but 10 to 24% the cocoa butter pressed out of it. The resulting product is a cake that is ground into cocoa powder.

Conching - the process of mechanically kneading and mixing chocolate, sugar, pure cocoa butter, and other ingredients to create a smooth, silken texture and enhances the flavor through aeration. Named after concha or shell in Spanish; the chocolate was kneaded by hand in a shell-shaped trough.

Couverture - Literally "to coat" or "coating" in French this is a somewhat ambiguous term. It most commonly refers chocolate with additional amount of cocoa butter to added to make it even more shiny, flavorful, and able to produce very this coatings for coating chocolates and truffles.

Cru - Meaning "growth," this term refers to beans from a particular plantation.

Cuvée - a blend of cocoa beans.

"Dutched" or Dutch cocoa - cocoa that has been processed with alkali to raise the pH level, and a minimum of 20% fat. This gives the cocoa a milder tasted and a bit darker color. Dutch cocoa is easier to dissolve in water than "natural" cocoa.

Enrobing - to coat a filling (ganache or fondant) by dipping or pouring tempered chocolate over it. While this can be done mechanically, Renaissance chocolates are enrobed by hand.

Fondant - A simple sugar/water mixture cooked between 234 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Once cooled, it is kneaded into a smooth mass that can be flavored and used as a filling for chocolates or melted to coat fruit and small or large cakes.

Ganache -chocolate combined with cream, butter, or fruit puree. It can be further enhanced with spices, herbs, and liquors. This is the classic filling for truffles.

Milk Chocolate - This is chocolate with the addition of 12 - 15 % milk solids, and at least 10% cocoa mass. Milk chocolate can sometimes exceed 50% sugar.

Seizing - the unfortunate, sudden stiffening of chocolate into an unworkable mass, caused by the introduction of water into melted chocolate, rendering it useless.

Semisweet chocolate - Chocolate that is a minimum of 35% cocoa mass and a minimum of 20% cocoa butter. In comparison to bittersweet chocolate it usually has more sugar and less cocoa mass.

Sweet chocolate - or Sweet dark chocolate it is at least 15% cocoa mass, it is often more than 60% sugar.

Tempering - A technique by which chocolate is stabilized. This process makes the chocolate more malleable. It gives a high gloss and firm, brittle texture, or snap. Depending on the chocolate, it is heated to approximately 118 degree Fahrenheit and then mixed and cooled to evenly distribute the fats. The two most common methods are tabliering and seeding.

Truffle - Truffles are a type of chocolate confection. They begin with a soft chocolate center of ganache. The ganache is then shaped and coated with cocoa powder, chopped nuts, flavored sugars, or enrobed in tempered chocolate.

Unsweetened chocolate - This is simply pure cocoa mass. It is also referred to as cocoa block, bitter chocolate, or baking chocolate. There is no sugar added, and has a bold flavor.

White chocolate - This is at least 20% cocoa butter but has no cocoa mass to give it a chocolate flavor. It is conched with sugar and milk solids and vanilla. It is tempered and handled like chocolate because of its cocoa butter content.


Storage

Chocolate should never be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. There is a danger of bloom to the chocolate, and because of the cocoa butter it can easily develop "off" flavors.

Chocolate should be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored in a cool dry place. Milk and white chocolate has a shelf life of 6-8 months. Dark chocolate can be stored for several years.

At Renaissance Chocolates we wonder why store chocolate? Just eat it!

Rating chocolate

While taste or flavor is mostly subjective, there are four areas that you should look for in well-made chocolates at room temperature.

Temper: The grain of the chocolate should be tight and even throughout. It should also break sharply, or snap rather than bend or crumble.

Texture: The texture of chocolate when eaten should be smooth without any gritty or sand mouth feel. Chocolate should melt as soon as it is in your mouth.

Color: Chocolate should be an even color throughout; there should not be any grayish streaking.

Aroma: Except for the addition of added flavorings, spices, or liquors, chocolate should smell like chocolate!
 

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