What is the difference between semisweet and dark chocolate?
In this brief article, we are going to answer the question,”What is the difference between semisweet and dark chocolate?”, and discuss what semisweet and dark chocolate is. We will also discuss the benefits of dark chocolates, the types of dark chocolates, uses of chocolate along with how chocolates are stored.
What is the difference between semisweet and dark chocolate?
The difference between semisweet and dark chocolate is that semi sweet chocolate is a type of chocolate that is derived from dark chocolate.
Semi sweet chocolate has 35-65% cocoa solid and dark chocolate has at least 35% cocoa solids. Dark chocolate is an umbrella term and semisweet chocolate is one of its types.
What is dark chocolate?
Dark chocolate is a chocolate that has 35% of cocoa solids. Dark chocolates have an identifiable bitter flavour. It is rich in iron, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. It also contains antioxidants known as flavonoids. Dark chocolates are therefore considered very nutritious because of their high nutritional value.
What are the benefits of dark chocolates?
Dark chocolates are beneficial in enhancing the flow of blood and therefore improving blood pressure. This chocolate type is considered to be more beneficial than regular chocolate because of their nutrient composition.
It raises HDL levels and lowers the levels of LDL cholesterol reducing the risk of the formation of plaques and therefore the incidence of heart diseases.
The bioactive compounds such as flavonoids present in dark chocolate are favourable for the skin as they reduce the risk of sun burns, along with enhancing the blood flow to the skin, increasing the density and improving hydration of the skin.
In contrast, frequent consumption of dark chocolates can lead to weight gain and obesity, because nevertheless it does contain considerable levels of fats, carbohydrates and sugars, which when taken in excess leads to a variety of metabolic disorders, such as diabetes. As they say, anything in excess is bad.
What are the types of dark chocolates?
There are three types of dark chocolates:
- Semisweet – having 35-65% of cocoa solids
- Bittersweet – having 65-80% of cocoa solids
- Bitter – having 80-100% cocoa solids.
What is semisweet chocolate?
Semisweet chocolate is a type of chocolate that has 35-65% cocoa solids and is slightly darker in colour than regular chocolate. Apart from cocoa solids, the rest of the percentage includes sugar, vanilla and an emulsifying agent. The term semisweet is due to more chocolate and therefore less amount of sugars. The less amount of sugars makes it a good ingredient in recipes which are high in sugars.
Cocoa solids have a role in giving the overall texture and flavour to the final product. Semi Sweet chocolates have a sweet flavour and a fine smooth texture. They are used in the process of baking, in desserts, and for coating and dipping.
Semi Sweet chocolate has a high degree of versatility and comes in the forms of chocolate chips, chocolate bars, chocolate slabs, and chocolate blocks.
What are the uses of chocolates?
Chocolates are used for various purposes: they are used as condiments, for garnishing, as a flavour ingredient, as a colourant or stabilising agent. Chocolates when used in recipes are usually melted in a double boiler and are incorporated slowly and gradually so as not to disturb the cooking process of other ingredients such as eggs.
Chocolates are also used by incorporating in pieces to create the desired texture and to obtain the desired moisture of a product. They can also be paired well with pungent cheese such as chevre or blue cheese. Chocolates are also seen to complement various varieties of nuts and coffees. Chocolate is also used to accompany beers and wines, such as sparkling wines.
How to properly store chocolates?
Chocolates are stored in cool dry temperatures as they can easily melt if kept at room temperatures especially during summers. However, storing in the fridge for longer periods can cause the development of something known as fat or sugar bloom – which is basically a white chalky finish that forms on the surface of the chocolate. This fat bloom is considered harmless.
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Conclusion
In this brief article, we answered the question,”What is the difference between semisweet and dark chocolate?”, and discussed what semisweet and dark chocolate is. We will also discuss the benefits of dark chocolates, the types of dark chocolates, uses of chocolate along with how chocolates are stored.
