Ingredients
Chocolate is a natural product made of these ingredients:- Chocolate Liquor: Cocoa beans with their shells removed that have been fermented, roasted and ground until they liquefy. This liquid is made up of cocoa butter and cocoa solids; both are naturally present in the bean.
- Cocoa Butter: Natural fat from the cocoa bean; extra cocoa butter enhances chocolate’s flavor and mouthfeel.
- Sugar
- Lecithin: An emulsifier, often made from soy, that makes the ingredients blend together.
- Vanilla or vanillin and other flavors.
It also may include
- Milk: For milk chocolate.
- Fruits, Nuts and other Add-ins: For specialty chocolates.
Because cacao trees are so delicate, farmers lose, on average, 30 percent of their crop each year.
