As an informed consumer, there is a lot of misleading rhetoric out there.
Are ‘chocolate flavored’ and ‘chocolate’ the same?
Is artificial chocolate just as good as real chocolate?
The answer is no.
Real chocolate is like no other substance on earth. For years scientists have tried to duplicate its characteristics without success. They have come very close, but the very best is still a pale comparison. The main difference between real chocolate and a ‘chocolate flavored’ substance is its most basic ingredient, cocoa butter. When you pick up a candy bar in the grocery store, look at the ingredients label on the package. If it does not contain cocoa butter, it is not real chocolate.
Chocolate is more expensive than its artificial counterpart and much more difficult to work with. It is temperamental at times. It can be affected by high humidity as well as warm temperatures, so it must be stored and handled in controlled environments. Chocolate must be melted to a specific temperature, cooled to a specific temperature and then warmed to a specific temperature, and it must be agitated in a specific way during this entire process before it will harden into a substance that you recognize. It takes much more work and expertise to bring you the tasty confection that you want and expect. So why do we use real chocolate? Because there is simply no other substitute. If you want to offer the very best, it is necessary to start with the best ingredients.
Chocolate has been found to lower blood pressure and it is a potent antioxidant according to the Aug. 27 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association. Not only does it taste good but it is good for you~ Cocoa butter melts completely at 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Body temperature is 98.7. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Quetzalcoatl, the Mexican god that gave us chocolate, knew exactly what he was doing.
Chocolate has become the most distinct and popular flavor in the entire world. It has been with American soldiers in every war since 1940. Chocolate has mended fences, fixed broken hearts, closed sales, welcomed guests, turned acquaintances into friends and satisfied that unspoken craving. When you establish your business and reputation on something as important as chocolate, shouldn’t you only use the very best? We think that you should.
We are members of Retail Confectioners International, a trade association established in 1917 comprised of World Class Confectioners dedicated to using the finest ingredients to make the very best confectionery products. As a member of this association, we actively seek to learn more about chocolate and confections to provide you with the finest confections.