15 January 2012

Chocolate Quality - How to Know What You're Getting?


At Marron & Dolce we only use the best quality couverture.  Knowing the difference in quality between couverture and other chocolate products (such as compound and cooking chocolate) is important if you are wanting to ensure a 'real' chocolate experience and quality product.

Couverture is the name of a professional-quality chocolate product with a high percentage of cocoa butter, at least 32%, and as high as 39% for good quality couverture.  The extra cocoa butter allows the chocolate to form a thinner coating and has a cleaner taste and less fatty texture on the palette.  Couverture requires expert handling as it needs to be tempered to maintain a quality finish - the snap, shine and depth of color typical of excellent chocolate work.

Compound or cooking chocolate has part or all of the cocoa butter replaced by vegetable fat and usually a whole range of whey powers and other ingredients.  Sometimes the cocoa mass/liquor is also replaced by cocoa powder.  It is a lower grade product and easier to work with but does not have the flavor or texture of couverture.  At Marron & Dolce we do not use compound or cooking chocolate as we feel it results in an inferior product that doesn't do chocolate justice!

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