WHITE CHOCOLATE

White chocolate is made of cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. Most often, the cocoa butter is deodorized to remove its strong and undesirable taste that would negatively impact the flavor of the finished chocolate. Regulations also govern what may be marketed as "white chocolate": In the United States, since 2004, white chocolate must be at least 20% cocoa butter (by weight), at least 14% total milk solids, at least 3.5% milk fat, and less than 55% sugar or other sweeteners. Before this date, U.S. firms required temporary marketing permits to sell white chocolate. The European Union has adopted the same standards, except that there is no limit on sugar or sweeteners. Although white chocolate is made the same way as milk chocolate and dark chocolate, the ingredients are different. Because of the ingredients, many people do not consider "white chocolate" to be chocolate at all, but in most cases, it does contain cocoa butter: a product that, like many cocoa solids, is derived from the cacao bean.


However,some preparations (known as confectioner's coating or summer coating) are made from inexpensive solid or hydrogenated vegetable and animal fats, and as such, is not at all derived from cocoa. These preparations may actually be white in color (in contrast to white chocolate's ivory shade) and will lack cocoa butter's flavor.

Because it does not contain cocoa solids, one benefit of white chocolate is that it contains only traces of theobromine, which means it can be consumed by individuals who must avoid theobromine for medical reasons. Theobromine is found in the cocoa solids and other ingredients of chocolate that give it the characteristic brown color. In contrast to white chocolate, dark chocolate contains the largest amount of theoromine because it contains the largest amount of cocoa solids.

-Khairuddin Fahmi-