Outline of chocolate

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to chocolate:

What is chocolate?

• Chocolate – raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to improve the flavor. Chocolate is a popular ingredient in confectionery items and candies.

What type of thing is chocolate?

Chocolate is a type of:

• Food – substance to provide nutritional support for the body, ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, and/or stimulate growth.
  • Confectionery – the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well.
    • Candy – confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added. Candies come in numerous colors and varieties and have a long history in popular culture.
  • Ingredient – substance that forms part of a mixture (in a general sense). For example, in cooking, recipes specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Chocolate is often used as an ingredient in dessert items, such as cakes and cookies.

What is chocolate made of?

Chocolate is created from the cacao bean. A cacao tree with fruit pods in various stages of ripening

Necessary ingredients

• Cacao bean – Fatty seed of Theobroma cacao which is the basis of chocolate
  • Chocolate liquor, also known as chocolate mass – Pure cocoa mass in solid or semi-solid form
  • Cocoa butter – Pale-yellow, edible fat extracted from the cocoa bean
  • Cocoa solids – Mixture remaining after cocoa butter is extracted from cocoa beans

Substances found in cacao

• Antioxidants – Compound that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules
  • Flavonols – Class of plant and fungus secondary metabolites
  • Catechin – Type of natural phenol as a plant secondary metabolite
• Caffeine – Central nervous system stimulant
• Phenethylamine – psychoactive drug that is usually inactive when orally ingested because most of it is metabolized into phenylacetic acid by monoamine oxidase (MAO), preventing significant concentrations from reaching the brain
• Theobromine – also known as xantheose, it contains no bromine and has a similar, but lesser, effect to caffeine
• Theophylline – methylxanthine drug found in tea leaves

Source of the cocao bean

• Theobroma cacao, also known as Cacao tree – Species of tree grown for its cocoa beans
  • Forastero – 80% made with this tree group
  • Criollo cacao tree variety – A high quality but less productive variety of cacao tree
    • Cacao bean – Fatty seed of Theobroma cacao which is the basis of chocolate
• Côte d'Ivoire – Country in West Africa
  • Cocoa production in Côte d'Ivoire – Côte d'Ivoire leads the world in production and export of cocoa
• Child labour in cocoa production – Controversial use of children in the production of cacao beans

Optional ingredients

• Lecithin – Generic term for amphiphilic substances of plant and animal origin
• Vanilla – Spice extracted from orchids of the genus Vanilla
• Sugar – Sweet-tasting, water-soluble carbohydrates
• Milk – White liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals
• Caramel – Confectionery product made by heating sugars
• Peanuts – Legume cultivated as a grain and oil crop

Ingredients of white chocolate

• White chocolate – Confectionery made from milk solids without cocoa solids

Types

Types of chocolate – Classification of different chocolate types

• Unsweetened chocolate – pure chocolate liquor mixed with fat to produce a solid substance; also known as "bitter," "baking chocolate" and "cooking chocolate"
• Dark chocolate – Chocolate with high cocoa solid content
• Milk chocolate – Solid chocolate containing added milk
• Semisweet chocolate – Term for dark chocolate used in the United States to indicate the amount of added sugar
• Bittersweet chocolate – Term for dark chocolate used in the United States to indicate the amount of added sugar
• Couverture – Chocolate with more cocoa butter
• White chocolate – Confectionery made from milk solids without cocoa solids
• Cocoa powder – Mixture remaining after cocoa butter is extracted from cocoa beansPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Compound chocolate – Combination of cocoa, vegetable fat and sweeteners
• Dutch process chocolate – Cocoa that has been treated with an alkalizing agentPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Scho-Ka-Kola – German chocolate brand containing coffee and kola nut – a chocolate brand containing coffee and cola nut

Production methods

• Broma process – Method of extracting cocoa butter from cocoa beans
• Dutch process chocolate – Cocoa that has been treated with an alkalizing agentPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Federal Specification for Candy and Chocolate Confections – US standard for products made for use by the federal government

Producers and trade organizations

See also: Fairtrade labelling

• International Cocoa Initiative – Nonprofit organization
• Cocoa Processing Company Limited – Ghanaian cocoa processing company – a Ghanaian cocoa processing company
• Kuapa Kokoo – Fairtrade-certified cocoa farmers organisation in Ghana – a Ghanaian farmers' cooperative organisation
• List of bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturers – Companies which produce chocolate from the beans
• Chocolaterie – Company that manufactures chocolates and sells them directly
• Chocolatier – Someone who makes confectionery from chocolate

Brands

• List of chocolate bar brands – Alphabetical listing of brand names and marketing regions

Edibles

• Chocolate pudding – Class of desserts with chocolate flavours
• Chocolate syrup – Chocolate-flavored condiment used as a topping or ingredient
• Chocolate cake – Baked cake flavored with chocolate
  • Chocolate layer cake – Cake made from stacked layers of cake held together by filling
    • Black Forest gateau – Chocolate sponge cake with a cherry filling
  • Chocolate soufflé cake – Baked egg-based dish
  • Devil's food cake – Moist, airy, rich chocolate layer cake
  • Ding Dong – Small chocolate cake of hockey puck size
  • Flourless chocolate cake – Chocolate custard cake
  • Fudge cake – Baked cake flavored with chocolatePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Garash cake – Bulgarian chocolate and walnut cake
  • German chocolate cake – Layered chocolate cake named after Samuel German
  • Joffre cake – Chocolate buttermilk layer cake
  • Molten chocolate cake – DessertPages displaying short descriptions with no spaces
  • Red velvet cake – Reddish chocolate cake with cream cheese icing
  • Sachertorte – Chocolate cake invented by Franz Sacher
  • Wacky cake – Cake made without eggs, butter or milk
• Cookie – Small, flat and sweetened baked food (biscuit)
  • List of cookies – List of notable cookie (biscuit) types
  • Chocolate chip – Small chunk of chocolate used as an ingredient
  • Chocolate biscuit – Biscuit flavoured with or covered in chocolate
  • Chocolate chip cookie – Drop cookie featuring chocolate chips
  • Black and white cookie – Round cookie with chocolate and vanilla frosting
  • Afghan biscuit – Traditional biscuit in New ZealandPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Chocolate brownie – Baked chocolate confection
• Chocolate spread – Sweet chocolate-flavored paste
• Confectionery – Prepared foods rich in sugar and carbohydrates
  • Chocolate truffle – Type of chocolate confectionery
  • Chocolate crackles – Confection in Australia and New Zealand made of puffed rice
  • Choco pie – Snack cookie with chocolate coating
  • Rum ball – Truffle-like confection of cookie butter flavored with chocolate and rum
• Chocolates –
  • Swiss chocolate – Chocolate processed in Switzerland
  • Mint chocolate – Chocolate with mint flavoring
  • Chocolate money – Gold foil covered chocolates in the shape of coins
• Dessert – Sweet course that concludes a meal
  • Molten chocolate cake – DessertPages displaying short descriptions with no spaces
  • Chocolate salami – Italian and Portuguese chocolate dessert
• Ice cream – Frozen dessert
  • Mint Chocolate Chip – Ice cream flavorPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Chocolate Chip – Small chunk of chocolate used as an ingredient
• Candy – Sweet confection
  • Chocolate bar – ConfectionPages displaying short descriptions with no spaces
  • Chocolate-coated raisin – Raisins coated in a shell of milk, dark or white chocolate.
  • Chocolate-coated peanut – Peanuts coated in a shell of chocolate.
  • Chocolate-coated marshmallow treats – Marshmallow, usually on a wafer base, coated in chocolate
• Cereals
  • List of breakfast cereals
  • Cocoa Frosted Flakes – Sugar coated corn flakes with cocoa flavouring
  • Cocoa Puffs – Breakfast cereal made by General Mills
  • Cocoa Krispies – Cocoa flavored version of Rice Krispies
  • Cookie Crisp – Breakfast cereal made by General Mills
• Brand names:
  • Death by Chocolate – Various desserts that feature chocolate

Drinks

A mug of hot chocolate. Chocolate was first drunk rather than eaten.

• Cafe mocha – A chocolate-flavored variant of a caffè latte
• Chocolate milk – Sweetened chocolate-flavoured milk
  • Swiss Miss – American cocoa powder and pudding brand
  • Nesquik – Brand of products made by Nestlé
  • Banania – A chocolate drink found most widely distributed in France
  • Yoo-hoo – American brand of chocolate beverage
• Crème de cacao – A sweet liqueur that tastes like chocolate.
• Hot chocolate – Heated beverage of chocolate in milk or water
• Mexican hot chocolate
• List of chocolate beverages – A list of notable beverages flavoured with chocolate

History

• History of chocolate

Effects on health

Health effects of chocolate – Food produced from cacao seedsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

• Theobromine poisoning – Overdose reaction to the xanthine alkaloid theobromine

Other articles

• United States military chocolate – Standard U.S. military ration itemPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Couverture chocolate – Chocolate with more cocoa butter
• Chocolataire – Social gathering featuring chocolate
• Chocolate fountain – Device for serving chocolate fondue
• Compound chocolate – Combination of cocoa, vegetable fat and sweeteners
• Chocolate agar – Growth medium – named for its color, does not contain cocoa
• Chocolate spread – Sweet chocolate-flavored paste
• Modeling chocolate – Chocolate paste used for decoration

External links

• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Chocolate" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 259.
• Food of the Gods A Popular Account of Cocoa – Freely downloadable book from Project Gutenberg