Unsweetened chocolate is made from cocoa beans and cocoa butter, and has a bitter taste. It must contain at least 50% cocoa butter and no added sugar. The taste varies depending on the location of the bean distributor. It can be made sweeter with added sugar or sweeteners. Europeans consume it without sweeteners, while Americans are starting to enjoy it more. Bittersweet chocolate is unsweetened chocolate with added sugar, fat, and occasionally vanilla.
Unsweetened chocolate goes by many names, including baking chocolate, cooking chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate. It’s made from a pure blend of just two ingredients: cocoa beans and cocoa butter, referred to as fat. This type of chocolate has a deeply intense taste. Most people wouldn’t want to eat sugar-free chocolate in its base form, as it’s essentially a hardened chocolate liquor that isn’t enriched with sugar yet. It is the basis of many confectionery recipes and even non-dessert foods, thanks to its bitter taste.
The Federal and Drug Administration (FDA) has strict standards on how chocolate manufacturers name and list ingredients on chocolate packages. According to the FDA, products considered unsweetened chocolate must contain at least 50 percent cocoa butter with the remaining ingredients consisting only of cocoa solids from the finely ground cocoa nibs, the dry-roasted bean chunks. Although the FDA allows for different fat-to-cocoa ratios, it’s usually sold at about 55% fat and 45% solids. Since sugar is not added, no form of that sweetener can be found on the ingredient label.
While unsweetened chocolate is basically chocolate in its purest form, its taste varies widely. However, the location of each company’s bean distributor is what truly affects the flavor. While the beans come from a variety of distributors in a plethora of regions – including Côte d’Ivoire, Malaysia, West Africa, Brazil and Indonesia, for example – the cocoa trees in each geographic area produce a bean that tastes different from the rest. One bean might have hints of coffee while another has hints of citrus.
Sugar-free chocolate is often mistaken for plain or dark chocolate. Bittersweet chocolate, however, is formed when sugar — and occasionally vanilla and extra fat — are added to an unsweetened selection. Home cooks and cooks can purchase the unsweetened forms for restaurants or the home to make a dish as sweet as they like.
Unsweetened types of chocolate can be made sweeter with the addition of white or brown sugar, honey, or artificial sweeteners. Usually sold in rectangular or square bar form, this chocolate liqueur can also be found in chip, chunk, powder, or liquid varieties. Most major candy manufacturers carry at least one form of sugar-free chocolate.
Residents of European countries such as France and Germany consume unsweetened chocolate without sweeteners, despite its bitter flavors. With the 21st century boom in foodies in North America, however, Americans have also begun to eat and enjoy foods that are more natural than those with sugary additives. New York City is one of many hot spots where more and more people are starting to consume sugar-free chocolate on its own, particularly if it’s one of the smoother varieties.
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