Difference between Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate
Chocolate is the most popular confection in the world. It is made from cocoa beans which are ground up and liquefied to become chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor is then processed to produce cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is the fatty part of the bean and cocoa solids are the remaining parts which are ground into a fine powder. Generally, the chocolate has a characteristic deep brown colour, but it also comes in a white variety. Let us see how dark chocolate differs from white chocolate!
Dark Chocolate:
The dark chocolate is made of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar and little or no milk. It has semi-sweet, slightly bitter flavour. The dark chocolates primarily contain cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions, so the different varieties of dark chocolate can be distinguished by the percentage of the cocoa solids. The cocoa solids in the dark chocolate can vary from 30% to 80%, accordingly, it is known by different names like bittersweet, semi-sweet, and sweet dark chocolate.
Dark chocolates contain the antioxidants so they not only have the characteristic flavor but also offer various health benefits such as boosts immune system, helps lower cholesterol and improve blood flow to heart and brain and helps elevate mood by increasing the levels of endorphins and serotonin in the brain.
White Chocolate:
It is white in colour and is made of milk, sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla or other flavorings. It lacks the chocolate flavour as it does not contain the cocoa solids at all, so technically it is not a chocolate. It gets its name from the cocoa butter. Some cheap varieties of white chocolate may have most or all of the cocoa butter replaced by vegetable fats.
Based on the above information, some of the key differences between Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate are as follows:
| Dark Chocolate | White Chocolate |
|---|---|
| It is made of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar and little or no milk. | It is made of milk, sugar and cocoa butter. |
| Cocoa solids is one the main ingredients. | It does not contain the cocoa solids. |
| It has more cocoa and less sugar and milk. | It is high in sugar and milk. |
| It has more pronounced chocolate flavour. | It lacks the chocolate flavour. |
| It has a dry and chalky texture. | It is smoother and more buttery than dark chocolate. |
| It is less sweet. | It is sweeter than dark chocolate. |
| It has fibers and offers slightly more calories than white chocolate. | It lacks fibers and offers slightly fewer calories than dark chocolate. |
| It melts easier than white chocolate at room temperature. | It does not melt easily at room temperature. |
| It contains antioxidants or flavonoids which make it good for heart, brain and more. | It lacks the antioxidants and health benefits offered by dark chocolate. |
| It contains caffeine. | It lacks caffeine. |
| It contains small amount of dietary iron. | It contains calcium which is good for bones. |
| It is harmful to animals as it contains the theobromine. | It is safe for animals as it does not contain the theobromine. |