Is White Chocolate Even Chocolate?

There has been recent debate whether or not white chocolate is actually real chocolate. Keep reading to figure out if white chocolate is really chocolate.

Components of A Cocoa Bean

A cocoa bean is made up of 45% cocoa solids and 55% cocoa butter. The cocoa bean is first fermented and then the shell is used to produce cacao nibs. Cocoa butter is from the cocoa bean during the making of cocoa powder. The nibs are then used to create pure chocolate which is called chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor is made of coca solids and coca butter. There are three main types of chocolate: dark, milk, and white. Dark chocolate and milk chocolate both contain coca liquor and coca butter while white chocolate just contains cocoa butter.

Is White Chocolate Actually Chocolate?

Since coca butter comes from a cocoa bean, I would say that it is chocolate. White chocolate is white because it does not contain coca liquor. The FDA states at least 20 percent cocoa butter, 14 percent total milk solids, and 3.5 percent milk fat should be in a white chocolate bar. White chocolate often contains many additives to reduce the costs for large-scale manufacturers to buy coca butter. Good white chocolate should only contain sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, and possibly vanilla. The color of the chocolate should not be a bright white rather a ivory color since cocoa butter is naturally yellow.

cites:

Glicerina, Virginia, et al. "Microstructural and rheological characteristics of dark, milk and white chocolate: A comparative study." Journal of Food Engineering 169 (2016): 165-171.

Verna, Roberto. "The history and science of chocolate." The Malaysian journal of pathology 35.2 (2013): 111.

Talbot, Geoff. "Chocolate and cocoa butter—Structure and composition." Cocoa butter and related compounds. AOCS Press, 2012. 1-33.