The 7 Most Common Varieties of Chocolate - From Bitter to Sweet

As all chocolate aficionados know, you capture the greatest nutritional benefits when eating raw, organic chocolate as opposed to processed varieties. Once cacao beans are roasted, they lose the majority of their nutritional value. So, get pleasure from these chocolates as you would any highly-caloric sweet treat, and get your vitamins and minerals elsewhere.

Chocolate varieties

1. Bitter chocolate or as known as unsweetened chocolate has a small amount of cocoa butter and free of sugar. It is best for baking. Despite not having sweetener, many people find the naturally bitter taste of unsweetened chocolate quite satisfying.

2. Bittersweet chocolate or as known as chocolate contains sugar, more cocoa butter than bitter chocolate, and about 50% chocolate liquor, which is made from processed cacao beans.

3. Cocoa powder - This is actually the pulverized remains of cocoa butter and is regularly used in baking.

4. Couverture - A rich creamy chocolate containing a high level of cocoa butter, making it particularly creamy. It's typically used in candy making and cake decorating.

5. Dutch process cocoa powder - A cocoa powder processed with alkali, it has a delicate flavor and is used in cakes and pastries. This alkalization process makes it neutral, so recipes using Dutch Process cocoa powder call for an acidic ingredient such as baking powder.

6. Milk chocolate - This popular chocolate contains powdered or condensed milk. Only a small quantity of cocoa is necessary to make it milk chocolate. It is the most-consumed variety of chocolate due to its presence in some desserts and candy bars.

7. White chocolate - Containing the highest quantity of sugar of all chocolate varieties, white chocolate is also made from milk fats and solids. It is not considered to be actual chocolate and with little to no cocoa solids, doesn't offer vitamins or minerals.

If you're looking for nutrients, eat chocolate that is processed as little as possible. Also make sure that the cacao beans are organic. Non-organic cacao may include pesticides and other fillers. Raw, organic cacao beans are really rich in magnesium, sulfur and other important minerals that are integral to the body's function.