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Gastronomic Recommendations

Types of chocolate, origin and process
Gastronomic Recommendations

Types of chocolate, origin and process

By Fernanda Balmaceda - 2021-02-18T16:06:40Z
“Life is like a box of chocolates,” but unlike Mrs. Gump's belief, we can know what we will get if we delve into the origin and the process of transforming cocoa into chocolate. 

Latin America, Ecuador, and Brazil are among the main cocoa producers in the world. Although Mexico is not one of the top five producers, it is considered one of the producers with the highest quality cocoa globally, with 30,000 producers nationwide and crops mainly concentrated in Tabasco (68.8%), Chiapas (31.1%), Guerrero, and Oaxaca, where 45,376 tons are grown annually in the open air. 

In Mexico, our per capita chocolate consumption is 750 grams, compared to other countries like Brazil, which reports 1.6 kg annually, or Switzerland with 11.9 kg. These figures give us an excellent reason to increase our chocolate consumption, especially cocoa, which provides many health benefits as it supplies us with minerals such as potassium, zinc, and helps in the release of endorphins, the cause of happiness. 

Here we present the main types of chocolate: 

White chocolate 
White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, sugar, and milk; it is ivory in color. 

Milk chocolate
It is made with 30 to 46% cocoa (butter and liquor), sugar, and milk. 

Dark chocolate 
These can be semi-sweet (with 50 to 69% cocoa) and bitter (with 70 to 90% cocoa). 

Tell us about your favorite chocolates and pairings! 

Source: ASCHOCO, National Association of Chocolate, Candy and Similar Manufacturers, A.C. (ASCHOCO), has been working for over 80 years (since 1936), highlighting the cultural and nutritional value of chocolate and cocoa in Mexico and the world, in addition to promoting informed consumption.