What is white chocolate?

White chocolate is now an integral part of the chocolate world. Due to its special color, it clearly stands out. Yet it remains a mystery to many. We have summarized the most important things here so that you can become professionals when it comes to white delicacies.

Where does white chocolate come from and how did it come about?

As the saying goes, the Swiss invented it. In 1936 - about 100 years after the British chocolatier JS Fry and Sons had established dark and milk chocolate on the market - the Swiss confectionery company Nestlé invented white chocolate. The reason for the invention was very pragmatic: Nestlé wanted to use the unwanted excess milk powder that had been produced for soldiers during the First World War.

How does she get her white color?

One of the most frequently asked questions - also in ourchocolate tastings - is why white chocolate is white. Some might suspect light cocoa beans, but unlike dark or even milk chocolate, white chocolate does not contain any of the cocoa solids like nibs that give chocolate its typically dark color. Nevertheless, white chocolate contains a very important ingredient in cocoa, namely cocoa butter. This is the basis for the chocolate and to obtain cocoa butter, the cocoa mass is put into a grease gun. This separates the cocoa butter from the rest of the ingredients. Now only milk powder and sugar are added and we have our favorite white snack. Also exciting: Especially with mass-produced, white chocolate, the cocoa butter is often filtered again, odor neutralized and bleached with clay minerals, which gives it its pure white color. If you are now wondering how chocolate is made, take a look here .

Can white chocolate even be called chocolate?

We have a clear answer to this question: Yes! A look at the EU cocoa regulation shows that it is basically a bit more complicated. In short, however, we can state that white chocolate must contain at least 20 percent cocoa butter. However, since it has less than 25% cocoa compared to dark and milk chocolate, it is referred to as "white chocolate" and not "chocolate".

Is white chocolate vegan?

The short answer is yes, because normally white chocolate is not vegan. Of course there are many vegan alternatives, but they must not be called “white chocolate”. This is where the EU Cocoa Regulation comes into play again, as it states that white chocolate must contain milk powder. All chocolates that use milk alternatives cannot legally be labeled as white. The situation is similar with sugar alternatives: if a "white chocolate" is made with alternative sweeteners, it must also be named differently according to the EU. You wonder when chocolate is vegan? Then you will find all the important information about vegan chocolate here .

4 tips on how to find the best

1. Less is more! When buying your white chocolate, make sure that there are as few ingredients as possible in the chocolate. A good white chocolate contains only cocoa butter, milk powder and sugar (possibly also a soy/sunflower lecithin).
2. Avoid palm oil or hydrogenated oils. The cocoa butter is the only fat that you should find in the ingredients.
3. Neither natural nor artificial flavors, such as vanilla, do not have to be present in white chocolate. But while real vanilla can be a tasty addition, avoid vanillin or other artificial flavors!
4. Invest in your chocolate! A general wisdom that is particularly important with white chocolate. Because cocoa butter is one of the most expensive components of your favorite candy and white chocolate has a lot of it. In order to get a high-quality chocolate, you should dig a little deeper into your pocket.

And where can you buy them?

Finally someone is asking ;-) A small, fine selection of the best white chocolate is of course available in our shop ! In addition to ordinary white chocolate, you will also find some with roasted milk powder - a particularly exciting style!