http://www.chocorific.com/chocolate/gourmet-chocolate/ Gourmet chocolate has come a long way from its roots in Central America. Learn a few interesting facts from the world of gourmet chocolate. en-us Tue, 22 Nov 2005 10:33:18 EST Tue, 22 Nov 2005 10:33:18 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 Most of us really love gourmet chocolate, but how much do we really know about it? It's always fun to find out more about the things we care a great deal about and gourmet chocolate is no exception! There is not much you can do with the following information besides impressing friends and relatives with the amount of unless information that one person can retain and regurgitate. But there will always be a few stray cats that appreciate knowing a few tidbits of information about the gourmet chocolate they are eating. What's the difference between dark and milk gourmet chocolate? Milk chocolate is the most popular kind of gourmet chocolate, probably because it is so much sweeter that the dark. Milk chocolate contains 50% sugar, 35% milk solids, and 15% cocoa solids. Dark chocolate, on the other hand, contains about 55% sugar and 45% cocoa solids. Now white chocolate is actually not considered to be real chocolate by some because it does not contain cocoa. What it does contain is sugar, cocoa butter, dry milk solids and flavoring. Other chocolate truths Did you know that chocolate does literally melt in your mouth? That's right, folks! Dark chocolate starts to melt at about 93 degrees Fahrenheit. Milk chocolate begins melting at slightly lower temperatures. Have you ever been disappointed to open that bar of gourmet chocolate that you were saving for the perfect moment and now that it's here you find that there is some white film on it? That's called "bloom" but it's nothing to worry about that because it does not affect the taste or the quality. It is a result to the chocolate having been exposed to heat. The heat causes some of the fat to melt and rise to the surface, that's all. Tue, 22 Nov 2005 10:33:18 EST