"Chocolate ain't chocolate" is something we say often.  It means that not all chocolate is healthy.  In fact a lot of it isn't healthy at all.  Knowing the type of chocolate you're eating or cooking with is an important part of eating responsibly for health.

Chocolate formats

There are several basic types of chocolate:

• Couverture chocolate is a high quality, high grade chocolate which besides sugar, uses predominantly cocoa and cocoa derivatives including cocoa butter as it's core ingredients.  Couverture is typically used for enrobing nuts, fruits or ganaches and requires careful tempering for a high quality (often shiny) finish. Daintree Estates chocolate is classed as couverture and is used by many of Australia's top chefs, restaurants and chocolatiers.  
   
• Compound chocolate is made with vegetable fats (not derived from cocoa) such as palm oil or coconut oil.  Compound chocolate is not a healthy choice in most instances.
   
• Confectionery chocolate is essentially a chocolate that has a sugar content greater than 30%.  Studies done on the health benefits of chocolate have consistently determined that a sugar content above 30% negates most of the positive health benefits derived from cocoa itself.  Confectionery chocolate is not a healthy choice is most instances.

Types of chocolate

Most people tend to prefer one or the other of the below chocolate types.

• Dark chocolate is made essentially with cocoa and cocoa derivatives such as cocoa butter, cocoa liquor or cocoa mass, combined with sugar, lecithin and vanilla.  True dark chocolate is dairy free.  Dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70% or higher will generally have some health benefits as evidenced by ongoing research.  But a lower cocoa-content dark chocolate with a sugar content above 30% will quickly lose any health benefits.   
• Milk chocolate has the same ingredients as dark chocolate, but with the addition of milk powder.  The milk component adds lactose as an extra sugar, plus milk fats which alter the crystallisation performance of the finished chocolate, making it softer, melting at a lower temperature, and possessing very limited positive health benefits, if any.  
• White chocolate is nothing more than sugar and fat.  A high quality white chocolate will have a high cocoa butter content (which is better than alternative fats) but the high sugar content means ther is nothing healthy about white chocolate whatsoever. We don't make white chocolate, and never will.

There are a few variations on the above 3 core chocolate types including rtuby chocolate and gold chocolate, neither of which are healthy.

What about our chocolate?

Australian Cocoa & Chocolate Purveyors Pty Ltd favour high cocoa-content dark and milk chocolates where the sugar content is around 30% or lower, and the cocoa solids are as high as possible.  Although high-content milk chocolate is less bad than high sugar-content alternatives, milk chocolate cannot be considered a healthy food choice.  

If you haven't acquired an appreciation and taste for high quality dark couverture chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids, we'd encourage you to do so.  It's substantially better for you than other chocolate types.  As with anything, eating in moderation is recommended.  Chocolate is for occasional moments of enjoyment and celebration, not as a core food source.

Cocoa is best

The source of any positive health impact in dark chocolate comes from cocoa itself.  We encourage you to develop an appreciation and love for cocoa as it is always a better option than chocolate. Discover the versatility of cocoa and find ways to incorporate it in your everyday cooking and meal preparation, not just for desserts.  Your body will thank you!