Chocolate is all about indulgence. Most of us have a thing for that one bite of goodness. If you check the market for chocolates, you will find a bunch of varieties. From milk chocolates and dark chocolates to coated nuts and fruits, there are endless things to try. In this post, we will talk about milk chocolate and things you need to know! ‘
What is milk chocolate?
As the name implies, milk chocolate contains both cocoa solids and milk. The texture and taste are very different from that of dark chocolate, simply because milk chocolate tends to melt easily owing to the dairy content and doesn’t taste as bitter. Please note milk chocolate is not same as white chocolate. The latter isn’t classified as chocolate in the first place, because it doesn’t contain any trace of cocoa and is made from milk solids and other ingredients.
How is milk chocolate made?
In case you didn’t know already, chocolate comes from chocolate beans, which are processed to get the contents inside. The same is then liquefied to get what’s known as chocolate liquor. Do not confuse chocolate liquor with liquor-infused chocolates. In simple words, chocolate liquor is the purest form of chocolate, and for each recipe, the strength or taste is determined by how much chocolate liquor the final product contains.
To make milk chocolate, first milk solids are mixed with sugar and then chocolate liquor is added to the mix. Typically, milk chocolate also contains some amount of cocoa powder. All the ingredients are then mixed together to get that velvety taste, and this is known as conching. Developing different milk chocolate recipes often takes different amount of time, but typically, the contents are mixed on a low temperature initially and then the temperature is increased to dry the mix.
Types of milk chocolates
Much like dark chocolates, milk chocolates are classified based on the percentage of cacao. The more cacao it contains, strong is the flavor and higher is the price. For example, dark milk chocolate can contain as much as 70% cocoa solids.
Most of the brands have their own recipes, and there are private-label brands too that sell ready chocolates with their own labels. If you are fond of milk chocolates, you can check online to shop for options. Try some of the sweet and bittersweet ones, which have their own flavors, and you can also find nuts that are coated in milk chocolates.
