Chocolate- Glossary of terms

Chocolate- Glossary of terms

White chocolate – this name is attributed to a chocolate that has up to 20% cocoa, 14% cocoa powder and sugar.

Bittersweet chocolate –chocolate made out of solid cocoa, with little sugar compared to milk chocolate or semisweet. It has a strong, almost sweet flavor.

Dark chocolate – chocolate with a cocoa percent of over 43%. Between 60 – 70% cocoa, we are talking about bitter chocolate. Over 70% cocoa the chocolate is extra-bitter.

Melted chocolate – it is used by professionals in making chocolate based deserts. There are more than one kind: we have white, with milk or dark. Method of preservation: between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius, never to be put in the refrigerator! Chocolate melts at a temperature of 40-45 degrees and must not come into direct contact with any heat source. It is advised to melt in a bain-marie.

Chocolate Liquor – almost liquid paste, bitter, alcohol-free, obtained from grinding cocoa benas. Chocolate liquor is in the composition of all types of chocolate.
Cocoa butter – is the fat from the cocoa seeds. Almost half of the beans’ composition is fat, which, when not used in chocolate products, is used in cosmetics.

Milk chocolate – represents a mixture of chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, milk, sugar and other flavors. Milk chocolate is the sweetest chocolate, with a sugar content of approximately 50%. It is used in making deserts and chocolate bars.

Semisweet chocolate – this kind of chocolate contains a little bit more sugar than dark chocolate and less than milk chocolate.
Pralines – Pralines cream- one of the base filling, essential in making chocolate. It comprises: grinded nuts, almonds or other kind of peanuts as well as unrefined sugar. Sometimes, an extra amount of sugar is added which acts as a stabilizer.
Bitter Pralines – bitter praline cream and also caramelized sugar.
Gianduja – is a mixture of praline cream and an amount of chocolate which gives it the consistency required when shaping or filling it. The basic filling is a mixture of hazelnut paste and gianduja. These basic fillings are added various flavors which make pralines so special and different from each other.
Marzipan – is a very important component in making chocolate. For many types of fillings, marzipan represents the main ingredient. Marzipan contains mainly almonds, which must be of the highest quality.
Ganache – is another base filling which generates a large variety of praline types, combined with specific elements. It contains glucose which acts as a stabilizer and natural preserver as well as various alcohol essences from fine alcohol beverages (liquors, whisky, cognac)
Types of ganache: glucose, cream, hazelnut paste, white chocolate, butter, milk chocolate, orange extract.
Chocolate figurines – Chocolate used in making figurines is either white, dark, with milk or pralines (with caramel). Chocolate figurines have no filling. Small chocolate figurines, which are sold per kilogram, usually contain filling.
Praline assortments – Pralines differ depending on the nature of the chocolate coating. For example:

- Mint chocolate – combination of marzipan, fondant and mint oil.
- Manon – combination of marzipan, walnuts grinded into small pieces, cognac, instant coffee and mocha paste.
- Strawberry ganache – a combination of white chocolate, whipped cream, strawberry flavor, cherry liquor and vanilla.
- Strawberry cream – combination of butter, fondant, marzipan, strawberry flavor, William pears and alcohol.
- Caramel cream – a combination of whipped cream, butter, glucose, candy and vanillaorange flavor.

-Seafood – various combinations. Examples: gianduja, white chocolate, nougat or hazelnut paste, orange paste.
- Chocolate caramel – combination of whipped cream, sugar, cocoa, glucose, vanilla, butter and almonds.
- Caramel with nuts – Whipped cream, sugar, glucose, butter, grinded nuts and vanilla.