1 History
If this chapter had been written 30 years ago, it would have been about 10 milk chocolate types, 5 dark versions and 10 vegetable fat coatings for the cake and ice cream industries. Today, the company the author worked for produces over 400 different recipes for the four different sectors of the confectionery industry:
(1) Chocolate confectionery
(2) Sugar confectionery
(3) Ice cream industry
(4) Bakery and baked or chilled goods.
Often there is a different flavour profile depending upon the sector of the industry and also a different flavour and viscosity profile, according to its use and global location. It is not only a question of cocoa solids and taste, but also of the claims that will be put on the final product. There are recipes for organic chocolate, Fair Trade, Kosher, chocolate and fillings without added sugar and many more. In addition there are those produced for special processing for example chocolate suitable for freezing, chocolate for panning and shell moulding, or for ‘one shot’ systems, etc.
2 Taste in different countries
① UK
In the UK, the traditional milk caramelized ‘chocolate crumb’ flavour still predominates for milk chocolate tablets and cake coatings, but the Belgian mild and creamy taste is also liked and used in the chocolate confectionery industry. Dark chocolate has now a much higher total cocoa solids content than 10–15 years ago. White chocolate, traditionally a children’s product, is now an acceptable product for adults, and most assortment boxes now have at least 25% white chocolates.
② Belgium
Belgian chocolate is famous for its mild, full-milk flavour. This type of chocolate has now found favour all over the world and in many countries you will see products ‘Made with Belgian Chocolate’. It is a sign of quality and consistency. White chocolate produced in Belgium is also liked.
③ France
France is the home of dark chocolate. It has many recipes and flavour profiles, many specialized chocolate recipe with the cocoa bean coming from a specific region and small cocoa bean growers. The industry has even started using the word of ‘Grand Cru’ for its very special products (a term borrowed from the champagne industry).
④ Switzerland
Switzerland is the home of some of the finest milk chocolate. The quality and the flavour of the Swiss milk powder was always very good. This is largely due to the fact that the maximum particle size of the refined chocolate is almost always below 20um, making a very smooth chocolate, together with the care taken with the conching process. This gives Switzerland a very good name for milk chocolate bars and confectionery.
⑤ Germany
A large proportion of chocolate making machinery is manufactured in Germany, but the chocolate products themselves tend to be designed mainly for the local market.
⑥ Italy
Italy is famous for producing of ‘single items’ chocolate confectionery, rather than tablets. Products like Ferrero Rocher are exported throughout the world.
⑦ English speaking countries (other than USA)
These generally follow the UK type of flavours, due to the fact that the major
UK Companies have factories here.
⑧ USA
The top selling brand has a milk flavour that is quite strong and robust. European chocolate types and flavours are making some inroads into the confectionery market.
⑨ Other countries
Many major multinational companies have factories in these countries, which have followed the ‘European route’. There are also many imports from Europe. Local brands and flavours co-exist for example in Russia some milk chocolate has a very strong cocoa taste.