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 flavour. 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 flavourings and colourants are added. Candies come in numerous colours 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?

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

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
  • Catechin – Type of natural phenol as a plant secondary metabolite
  • Flavonols – Class of plant and fungus secondary metabolites
• 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 cocoa bean

• Child labour in cocoa production – Controversial use of children in the production of cacao beans
• 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
• Theobroma cacao, also known as Cacao tree – Species of tree grown for its cocoa beans
  • 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
  • Forastero – 80% made with this tree group

Optional ingredients

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

Ingredients of white chocolate

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

Types

Types of chocolate – Classification of different chocolate types

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

Production methods

• Broma process – Method of extracting cocoa butter from cocoa beans
• Dutch process cocoa – Cocoa that has been treated with an alkalizing agent
• 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

• Chocolaterie – Company that manufactures chocolates and sells them directly
• Chocolatier – Someone who makes confectionery from chocolate
• Cocoa Processing Company Limited – Ghanaian cocoa processing company – a Ghanaian cocoa processing company
• International Cocoa Initiative – Nonprofit organization
• 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

Brands

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

Edibles

• Brand names:
  • Death by Chocolate – Various desserts that feature chocolate
• Candy – Sweet confection
  • Chocolate bar – ConfectionPages displaying short descriptions with no spaces
  • Chocolate-coated marshmallow treats – Marshmallow, usually on a wafer base, coated in chocolate
  • Chocolate-coated peanut – Peanuts coated in a shell of chocolate.
  • Chocolate-coated raisin – Raisins coated in a shell of milk, dark or white chocolate.
• Cereals
  • Cocoa Frosted Flakes – Sugar coated corn flakes with cocoa flavouring
  • Cocoa Krispies – Cocoa flavored version of Rice Krispies
  • Cocoa Puffs – Breakfast cereal made by General Mills
  • Cookie Crisp – Breakfast cereal made by General Mills
  • List of breakfast cereals
• 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
• Chocolate pudding – Class of desserts with chocolate flavours
• Chocolate spread – Sweet chocolate-flavored paste
• Chocolate syrup – Chocolate-flavored condiment used as a topping or ingredient
• Chocolates –
  • Chocolate money – Gold foil covered chocolates in the shape of coins
  • Mint chocolate – Chocolate with mint flavoring
  • Swiss chocolate – Chocolate processed in Switzerland
• Confectionery – Prepared foods rich in sugar and carbohydrates
  • Choco pie – Snack cookie with chocolate coating
  • Chocolate crackles – Confection in Australia and New Zealand made of puffed rice
  • Chocolate truffle – Type of chocolate confectionery
  • Rum ball – Truffle-like confection of cookie butter flavored with chocolate and rum
• Cookie – Small, flat and sweetened baked food
  • Afghan biscuit – Traditional biscuit in New Zealand
  • Black and white cookie – Round cookie with chocolate and vanilla frosting
  • Chocolate biscuit – Biscuit flavoured with or covered in chocolate
  • Chocolate brownie – Baked chocolate confection
  • Chocolate chip – Small chunk of chocolate used as an ingredient
  • Chocolate chip cookie – Drop cookie featuring chocolate chips
  • List of cookies – List of notable cookie (biscuit) types
• Dessert – Sweet course that concludes a meal
  • Chocolate salami – Italian and Portuguese chocolate dessert
  • Molten chocolate cake – DessertPages displaying short descriptions with no spaces
  • Mousse – Soft creamy prepared food using air bubbles for texture
• Ice cream – Frozen dessert
  • Chocolate chip – Small chunk of chocolate used as an ingredient
  • Mint chocolate chip – Ice cream flavor

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
  • Banania – A chocolate drink found most widely distributed in France
  • Nesquik – Brand of products made by Nestlé
  • Swiss Miss – American cocoa powder and pudding brand
  • 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
• 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

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

External links

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