What are cocoa solids?
Most chocolate products are made of a combination of cocoa liqueur, sugar and many other ingredients. This liqueur is produced by mixing two basic components of the cocoa bean together. These ingredients can be oily, in the form of cocoa butter or dry in the form of cocoa solids. The exact ratio of these two components can affect everything from taste to nutritional content of the final product. Some food management agencies also require a minimum amount of cocoa solids or butter in the product before it is legally marked as chocolate.
Cocoa powder is one of the purest forms of cocoa solid. This powder does not contain any greasy elements, ie no cocoa butter. Ordinary cocoa powder is very bitter, with a strong chocolate taste. Consumers are probably more familiar with alkalized or Dutch cocoa powder, which is less bitter and milder in taste. These powdered cocoa solids are used for baking or in the production of hot chocolate.
Cocoa solids are also added to chocolate sticks and other candies, and various products are often associated with a specific content of cocoa solids. For example, bittersweet and semisweet chocolate usually contain at least 35 percent of cocoa solids, while dark chocolate may contain 40 percent or more. Milk chocolate contains only ten percent of cocoa solids, while white chocolate contains none. Non -special chocolate baking are a mixture of half solids and half cocoa butter. While many consumers believe that a higher percentage of solid cocoa means better chocolate, it is not necessarily always.
dry solids made of cocoa beans give chocolate a distinctive taste and are also a source of most of its nutritional value. On the other hand, cocoa butter is used to provide chocolate with the right texture and control its melting point. Products with too small cocoa butter often feel wax, so far more quality bars often contain high PRCocoa solids. By changing the ratios of these two components, manufacturers can create chocolates with extremely different flavors and textures.
cocoa butter has a very high fat content and unhealthy saturated fats. Cocoa solids contain little fat and are practically without saturated fats. These solids contain many same antioxidants or flavenoids found in red wine. They are also rich in vitamins and minerals, and it is often said that people give people a mental or emotional elevator by increasing serotonin production.