Chocolate Terminology
Before baking with chocolate, it is helpful to review some of the basic terminology on its components, cocoa percentages, different types of chocolate, and names for the small baking pieces.
| Components | Chocolate is created by roasting and grinding cacao beans, producing chocolate liquor which contains cocoa butter. The percentage of chocolate liquor is referred to as its cocoa content. |
| Unsweetened chocolate | Pure chocolate liquor with no sugar added. Also known as 100% chocolate. |
| Percentage designations | The percentage in a chocolate’s name (i.e.,66% chocolate) refers to its chocolate liquor (cocoa) content. The higher the cocoa percentage, the lower the sugar content. A 71% chocolate will provide a more intense chocolate flavor than a 60% chocolate, with less sweetness. |
| Extra-bittersweet, bittersweet, semi-sweet | These terms are subjective between different chocolate
manufacturers. For example, Guittard makes a 66% chocolate for baking labeled Semi-Sweet, while Ghirardelli’s calls their 60% bars Bittersweet. For greater clarity in the type of chocolate called for in our recipes, The Friday Baking Project uses cocoa percentages instead of these terms. |
| Milk Chocolate | Chocolate to which milk solids, sugar and flavoring have been added. |
| White Chocolate | Produced from cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. As it contains no chocolate liquor, it is not considered true chocolate. |
| Cocoa Powder | The dry powder remaining after the cocoa butter is extracted. Cocoa powder is slightly acidic. |
| Dutch-Process Cocoa | Cocoa powder that is treated with an alkali to reduce acidity |
| Cocoa Butter | Enhances the mouthfeel of chocolate. |
| Couverture chocolate | Chocolate containing higher per centage of cocoa butter, typically for chocolates and covering. |
| Chocolate wafers or pastilles | Small discs of baking chocolate that don’t require chopping or breaking up prior to melting for a recipe. |
| Chocolate feves | Small oval pieces of chocolate, also requiring no chopping or breaking up. Used by Valrhona for their Ivoire white and other chocolates. |
| Chocolate chips | Designed to maintain their shape during baking, not to be used in recipes calling for melted baking chocolate. |