With today being World Chocolate Day (July 7th), we thought we’d take a look at the variety that chocolate has to offer. From the classic milk chocolate, to the more exotic green tea flavour, there’s chocolate out there for everyone. So, whether you’re a chocoholic or not, read on to find out more about this delicious treat!
Origin of Chocolate
The origin of chocolate can be traced back to the ancient Mesoamerican cultures of Mexico and Central America. These cultures cultivated cacao, a tropical evergreen tree, and used its beans to make a bitter drink. The drink was believed to have medicinal and spiritual properties, and it was often used in religious ceremonies.
Over time, the Mesoamerican cultures developed a process for making a sweetened version of the cacao drink, which is when chocolate was created. The Aztecs and Mayans used chocolate in many different ways – it was even used as a currency at one point in time!
Chocolate is now considered to belong in the ‘confectionery’ category, being used in sweets, cakes, cookies, and beverages. It is made from cacao beans that are ground into a paste and then mixed with milk, sugar, and other ingredients. The chocolate paste is then heated and cooled, and set into bars or other shapes.
Today, chocolate is enjoyed all over the world, and it is considered as one of the ‘go-to’ flavours for other applications.
Chocolate Colours
Chocolate can be found in a wide variety of colours, from the classic brown to more unusual shades like blue and green. But how is chocolate made into these colours you may ask?
To create coloured chocolate, you have to use oil-soluble food colours. Plant-Ex’s Applications Kitchen has worked alongside our Development Teams to put together our most recommended oil soluble colours:
Paprika Extract OSL
Product Code: NC2076
Description: E160c Paprika Extract
Heat Stability: Good
Light Stability: Good
Colour Shade: Orange
Recommended Dosage: 0.5 – 2%
Dosage in Picture: 1%
Paprika Extract 72,000
Product code: CF016170A
Description: Clean Label Paprika
Heat Stability: Good
Light Stability: Sensitive
Colour Shade: Orange
Recommended Dosage: 0.3 – 1%
Dosage in Picture: 0.5%
Christmas red blend OS
Product code: DEV013923A
Description: Red beet and Lutein
Heat Stability: Medium
Light Stability: Sensitive
Colour Shade: Red-Orange
Recommended Dosage: 2 – 4%
Dosage in Picture: 2%
Natural Beta Carotene
Product code: NC2085
Description: E160a (iii) Natural beta Carotene
Heat Stability: Good
Light Stability: Good
Colour Shade: Yellow
Recommended Dosage: 0.1 – 0.3%
Dosage in Picture: 0.1%
Lutein Extract
Product code: NC1619
Description: E161b Lutein
Heat Stability: Good
Light Stability: Good
Colour Shade: Yellow
Recommended Dosage: 0.2 – 1%
Dosage in Picture: 1%
Curcumin Extract ODL
Product code: NC015832A
Description: E100 Curcumin
Heat Stability: Good
Light Stability: Good
Colour Shade: Bright Yellow
Recommended Dosage: 0.5 – 5%
Dosage in Picture: 0.2% / 1%
Carmine Extract OS RS
Product code: NC013113A
Description: E120 Carmine
Heat Stability: Good
Light Stability: Good
Colour Shade: Pink to Red
Recommended Dosage: 0.3 – 2%
Dosage in Picture: 1% / 2%
Purple OSL
Product code: DEV013633A
Description: Spirulina and Red Beet
Heat Stability: Sensitive
Light Stability: Good
Colour Shade: Purple
Recommended Dosage: 2 – 4%
Dosage in Picture: 2% / 4%
Dark Brown OSL
Product code: DEV019833A
Description: E120 Carmine and E141 (i) Copper Chlorophyll
Heat Stability: Good
Light Stability: Good
Colour Shade: Dark Brown
Recommended Dosage: 1 – 3%
Dosage in Picture: 2%
Green OSL
Product code: DEV015515A
Description: Spirulina and E100 Curcumin
Heat Stability: Sensitive
Light Stability: Good
Colour Shade: Bright Green
Recommended Dosage: 1 – 3%
Dosage in Picture: 1%
Copper Chlorophyll
Product code: NC2135
Description: E141 Copper Chlorophyll
Heat Stability: Good
Light Stability: Good
Colour Shade: Green
Recommended Dosage: 1 – 3%
Dosage in Picture: 2%
Spirulina OSL
Product code: CF013632A
Description: Spirulina
Heat Stability: Sensitive
Light Stability: Good
Colour Shade: Blue
Recommended Dosage: 1 – 4%
Dosage in Picture: 1% / 2% / 4%
Carbon Black OS
Product code: NC012669A
Description: E153 Carbon Black
Heat Stability: Good
Light Stability: Good
Colour Shade: Grey to Black
Recommended Dosage: 1 – 5%
Dosage in Picture: 2% / 4%
So next time you see a beautiful rainbow of chocolate colours, you’ll know that it’s not just about the taste – it’s also about the science and efforts of colour specialist behind it!
Chocolate Flavours
When it comes to chocolate, there are endless flavour possibilities. From classic milk chocolate to more adventurous flavours like chili pepper or lavender, there’s a chocolate to suit every taste. And with new flavour combinations being created all the time, the possibilities are endless.
If you’re looking to explore the world of chocolate flavours, here are a few to get you started:
- Milk Chocolate: One of the most classic chocolate flavours! Milk chocolate comes in a variety of profiles – whether you’re looking for a rich and fudgy milk chocolate, or a hot-chocolate type milk chocolate, Plant-Ex has flavours to suit your requirements.
- White Chocolate: White chocolate is a much sweeter and fattier flavour in comparison to milk chocolate, and it is often preferred by younger generations. Whether you’re looking for a liquid or powder, ensure to get in touch with Plant-Ex when looking for white chocolate flavour.
- Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate is the richest, most bitter chocolate flavour due to the higher percentage of cocoa. Plant-Ex have accounted for this and created a delicious portfolio of dark chocolate flavours to suit a variety of applications.
Plant-Ex manufactures chocolate flavours with a huge variety of profiles, so its important to let your account manager know what profile you’d like in your product!
Whether you’re a chocolate manufacturer trying to add a pop of colour into your products, or you are working with another application that you’d like to add a chocolate flavour to, ensure to get in touch with us today: sales@plant-ex.com. Our portfolios are extensive, and we would love to share them with you!
If you want to find out more about our products best suited for chocolate, please visit our applications page.
