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.[1] 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 – A mixture of many substances remaining after cocoa butter is extracted from cacao beans

Substances found in cacao

• Antioxidants – Compound that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules
  • Flavonols – A class of plant and fungus secondary metabolites.
  • Catechin – A type of natural phenol and antioxidant. A plant secondary metabolite
• Caffeine – A 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[2][3]
• Theobromine – also known as xantheose,[4] it contains no bromine [5] and has a similar, but lesser, effect to caffeine
• Theophylline – methylxanthine drug found in tea leaves

Source of the cocoa bean

• Theobroma cacao, also known as Cacao tree – A 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 caramel
• Child labour in cocoa production – The controversial use of children in the production of cacao beans

Optional ingredients

• Lecithin – A generic term for amphiphilic substances of plant and animal origin
• Vanilla – Spice extracted from orchids of the genus Vanilla
• Sugar – Generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates
• Milk – white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals
• Caramel – Confectionery product made by heating sugars
• Peanuts – A legume cultivated for its seeds

Ingredients of white chocolate

• White chocolate – Confection made with cocoa butter that does not contain cocoa solids

Types

Types of chocolate – A range of foods derived from cocoa

• Unsweetened chocolate – pure chocolate liquor mixed with fat to produce a solid substance; also known as "bitter," "baking chocolate" and "cooking chocolate"[6]
• Dark chocolate – Chocolate with high cocoa solids 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 – High-quality chocolate that contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter than baking or eating chocolate
• White chocolate – Confection made with cocoa butter that does not contain cocoa solids
• Cocoa powder
• Compound chocolate – A product made from a combination of cocoa, vegetable fat and sweeteners
• Dutch process chocolate – Cocoa that has been treated with an alkalizing agent
• Scho-Ka-Kola – a chocolate brand containing coffee and cola nut[7]

Production methods

• Broma process – Method of extracting cocoa butter from roasted cocoa beans
• Dutch process chocolate – Cocoa that has been treated with an alkalizing agent
• Federal Specification for Candy and Chocolate Confections

Producers and trade organizations

• International Cocoa Initiative – Geneva-based nonprofit funded by major chocolate makers to address child labour issues in cocoa production in West Africa
• Cocoa Processing Company Limited – Ghanaian cocoa processing company – a Ghanaian cocoa processing company
• Kuapa Kokoo – A 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 – A class of desserts with chocolate flavours
• Chocolate syrup – A chocolate-flavored condiment used as a topping or ingredient
• Chocolate cake – A baked cake flavored with chocolate
  • Chocolate layer cake – A cake made from stacked layers of cake held together by filling
    • Black Forest gateau – A chocolate sponge cake with a cherry filling
  • Chocolate soufflé cake – A baked egg-based dish using beaten egg whites to give an aerated texture
  • Devil's food cake – A moist, airy, rich chocolate layer cake
  • Ding Dong – A small chocolate cake similar in shape and size to a hockey puck
  • Flourless chocolate cake – A dense cake made from an aerated chocolate custard
  • Fudge cake – chocolate cake with a consistency reminiscent of fudge
  • Garash cake – A Bulgarian chocolate and walnut cake of 5 thin layers with a chocolate frosting
  • German chocolate cake – A layer cake with chocolate and a coconut-pecan frosting
  • Joffre cake – A chocolate buttermilk layer cake filled with chocolate ganache and frosted with chocolate buttercream
  • Molten chocolate cake – A dessert that combines the elements of a flourless chocolate cake with pâine soufflé
  • Red velvet cake – Reddish colored chocolate cake with cream cheese icing
  • Sachertorte – A chocolate cake invented by Franz Sacher
  • Wacky cake – a spongy, cocoa-based cake which does not use eggs, butter or milk
• Cookie – small, flat and sweetened baked food (biscuit)
  • List of cookies – A list of notable cookie (biscuit) types
  • Chocolate chip – Small chunk of chocolate used as an ingredient
  • Chocolate biscuit – A biscuit which is flavoured with chocolate solids or covered in chocolate
  • Chocolate chip cookie – Drop cookie featuring chocolate chips as a distinguishing ingredient
  • Black and white cookie – A round cookie iced or frosted on one half with vanilla and on the other with chocolate
  • Afghan biscuit – Traditional biscuit, New Zealand
  • Chocolate brownie – square, baked, chocolate dessert
• Chocolate spread – A sweet chocolate-flavored paste which is eaten mostly spread on breads and similar grain products
• Confectionery – Prepared foods rich in sugar and carbohydrates
  • Chocolate truffle – Type of chocolate confectionery
  • Chocolate crackles – A popular children's confection in Australia and New Zealand based on puffed rice
  • Choco pie – A snack cake with chocolate coating
  • Rum ball – A truffle-like confection of cookie butter flavored with chocolate and rum
• Chocolates –
  • Swiss chocolate – Chocolate processed in Switzerland
  • Mint chocolate – Flavored chocolate, made by adding a mint flavoring
  • Chocolate money – Gold foil covered chocolates in the shape of coins
• Dessert – course that concludes a meal; usually sweet
  • Mousse – Soft prepared food using air bubbles for texture
  • Molten chocolate cake – A dessert that combines the elements of a flourless chocolate cake with pâine soufflé
  • Chocolate salami – Dessert made from cocoa, broken biscuits, butter, eggs and a bit of port wine or rum
• Ice cream – A frozen dessert
  • Mint chocolate chip – Ice cream flavor
  • Chocolate chip – Small chunk of chocolate used as an ingredient
• Candy – Sweet confection
  • Chocolate bar – Confection containing sweetened chocolate in oblong or rectangular form
  • 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 biscuit base, coated in chocolate
• Cereals
  • List of breakfast cereals – Wikimedia list article
  • Cocoa Frosted Flakes – Sugar coated corn flakes with cocoa flavouring
  • Cocoa Puffs – brand of chocolate-flavored puffed grain breakfast cereal
  • Cocoa Krispies – A cocoa flavored version of Rice Krispies
  • Cookie Crisp
• Brand names:
  • Death by Chocolate – Various desserts that feature chocolate

Drinks

A mug of hot chocolate. Chocolate was first drunk rather than eaten.[6]

• Cafe mocha – A chocolate-flavored variant of a caffè latte
• Chocolate milk – Sweetened chocolate-flavored milk
  • Swiss Miss – A name brand for cocoa powder and pudding products
  • 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 – The development of chocolate products and production

Effects on health

Health effects of chocolate – The possible positive and negative effects on health of eating chocolate

• Theobromine poisoning – Overdose reaction to the xanthine alkaloid theobromine

Other articles

• United States military chocolate
• Couverture chocolate – High-quality chocolate that contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter than baking or eating chocolate
• Chocolataire – A type of social gathering in which all food and drink are composed of or contain some form of chocolate
• Chocolate fountain – A device for serving chocolate fondue
• Compound chocolate – A product made from a combination of cocoa, vegetable fat and sweeteners
• Chocolate agar – named for its color, does not contain cocoa
• Chocolate spread – A sweet chocolate-flavored paste which is eaten mostly spread on breads and similar grain products
• Modeling chocolate – A chocolate paste used for decoration

References

1. "Theobroma cacao". Hort.purdue.edu. 1998-01-09. Retrieved April 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
2. Yang HY, Neff NH (November 1973). "Beta-phenylethylamine: a specific substrate for type B monoamine oxidase of brain". Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 187 (2): 365–71. ISSN 0022-3565. PMID 4748552.
3. Suzuki O, Katsumata Y, Oya M (March 1981). "Oxidation of beta-phenylethylamine by both types of monoamine oxidase: examination of enzymes in brain and liver mitochondria of eight species". Journal of Neurochemistry. 36 (3): 1298–301. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.1981.tb01734.x. ISSN 0022-3042. PMID 7205271.
4. William Marias Malisoff (1943). Dictionary of Bio-Chemistry and Related Subjects. Philosophical Library. pp. 311, 530, 573. ASIN B0006AQ0NU.
5. Bennett, Alan Weinberg; Bonnie K. Bealer (2002). The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World's Most Popular Drug. Routledge, New York. ISBN 0-415-92723-4.
6. Archived March 17, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
7. "Sarotti SCHO-KA-KOLA 100g (High Caffein Dark Chocolate 3.5oz)". Germandeli.com. Retrieved April 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)

External links

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