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 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

• Cocoa (processed cacao)
  • Cacao bean – Fatty seed of Theobroma cacao
    • 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

Optional ingredients

• Milk – Nutrient-rich liquid produced by mammals
• Sugar – Sweet-tasting, water-soluble carbohydrates
• Vanilla – Spice extracted from orchids of the genus Vanilla
• Emulsifier – Mixture of two or more immiscible liquids
  • Lecithin – Generic term for amphiphilic substances of plant and animal origin
  • Polyglycerol polyricinoleate – Emulsion used in food production

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^[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 cocoa

• Theobroma cacao, also known as Cacao tree – Species of tree grown for its seeds

• Types of cocoa beans

• Child labour in cocoa production – Controversial use of children in the production of cacao beans
• Environmental impact of cocoa production
• By country
  • Cocoa production in Ivory Coast
  • Cocoa production in Ghana
  • Cocoa production in Nigeria
  • Cocoa production in São Tomé and Príncipe
  • Cocoa production in Sri Lanka

Types

Types of chocolate – Classification of different chocolate types

• Aerated chocolate – Chocolate containing tiny gas bubbles
• Baking chocolate – Chocolate intended for use in baking
• Bittersweet chocolate – Term for dark chocolate used in the United States to indicate the amount of added sugar
• Cioccolato di Modica – Italian specialty chocolate
• Compound chocolate – Combination of cocoa, vegetable fat and sweeteners
• Couverture – Chocolate with more cocoa butter
• Dark chocolate – Chocolate with high cocoa solid content
• Gianduja – Confection made of chocolate and hazelnut
• Milk chocolate – Solid chocolate containing added milk
• Modeling chocolate – Classification of different chocolate typesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Organic chocolate
• Raw chocolate – Chocolate made from unroasted cocoa beans
• Ruby chocolate – Variety of chocolate
• White chocolate – Chocolate made from only cocoa butter
• By country
  • Belgian chocolate – Chocolate produced in Belgium
  • French chocolate
  • Swiss chocolate – Chocolate processed in Switzerland

Production methods

• Broma process – Method of extracting cocoa butter from cocoa beans
• Conching – Process for refining chocolate by stirring at high temperature
• Dutch process cocoa – Cocoa that has been treated with an alkalizing agent
• Enrober – Machine to coat a food item
• Federal Specification for Candy and Chocolate Confections – US standard for products made for use by the federal government
• Sugar crust – Method to prepare liquid filled chocolates
• Tempered chocolate – Technique in chocolate manufacture

Producers and trade organizations

Chocolate industry

• Chocolaterie – Company that manufactures chocolates and sells them directly
• Chocolatier – Someone who makes confectionery from chocolate
  • List of chocolatiers
• 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
• Bean-to-bar – Business model in chocolate production
  • 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
  • Scho-Ka-Kola – German chocolate brand containing coffee and kola nut – a chocolate brand containing coffee and cola nut

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 cherries
  • Chocolate soufflé cake – Egg-based baked 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 – Red layer cake with icing
  • Sachertorte – Chocolate cake
  • 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 – Food produced from cacao seedsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Confectionery – Art of making confections or sweet foods
  • 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, Portuguese and Romanian 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.^[6]

• 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
• Chocolataire – Social gathering featuring chocolate

Effects on health

• Theobromine poisoning – Overdose reaction to the xanthine alkaloid theobromine

Other articles

• 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
• Cocoa-free chocolate alternative
• Military chocolate
  • United States military chocolate – Standard U.S. military ration itemPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Military chocolate (Switzerland) – Chocolate issued in the Swiss military