Difference between real chocolate and compound chocolate

Introduction
One of the most popular varieties of chocolate used in the production of food goods, whether it is in the bakery, pastry, snack, ice cream, or confectionery business, is compound chocolate you understand what compound choco-thoughs, though? And what makes it unique from conventional or real chocolate? Find out more by reading this article.

1. Structure
Composition is the primary distinction between compound chocolate and actual chocolate. Compound chocolate is created from cocoa powder and vegetable fat, whereas real chocolate is made from cocoa mass and cocoa butter.

According to FAO, a product must include at least 35% total cocoa solids and 18% cocoa butter to be considered true chocolate. Cocoa nibs are mashed into a thick paste to create cocoa mass. Although cocoa mass is also frequently referred to as cocoa paste or cocoa liquor, fear not—it is alcohol-free.

In the meantime, cocoa butter, a fat that occurs naturally in cocoa beans, is typically offered in the market for a premium price due to its usage in the cosmetics sector. A different variety of chocolate called couverture has more cocoa butter than actual or regular chocolate. Since couverture chocolate must contain at least 31% cocoa butter, it is a more expensive variety of chocolate.

Compound chocolate, as opposed to real or couverture chocolate, is produced from cocoa powder and vegetable fat. Vegetable fat replaces some or all of the cocoa butter in cocoa powder, which is formed from dried and crushed cocoa mass. The vegetable fats may come from shea, palm, or palm kernel oil alone or in combination. Vegetable fat may also be present in genuine chocolate. The FAO permits up to 5% vegetable fat in genuine chocolate.

Compound and real chocolate have differing qualities due to two significant compositional variances.

2. Identified traits
The amount of fat in chocolate greatly influences its properties.

When true chocolate is properly tempered, the cocoa butter content gives it the characteristics that are typically associated with chocolate: it doesn't melt easily at room temperature but melts in the mouth, has a glossy appearance, and snaps when broken. Additionally, cocoa butter shrinks when it cools, making demolding simpler.

The amount of fat in compound chocolate also has an impact. In this instance, the kind and makeup of lipids determine the properties of compounds, such as the texture, melting behavior, and melting point. Manufacturers can create compound chocolate products with various properties depending on the desired final result by varying the kind and mix. For instance, chocolate producers can produce compound chocolate products that are simpler to deliver and display in stores in tropical nations like Indonesia since they do not melt at room temperature (28–30 °C).

We can deliver compound and couverture chocolate at PT Freyabadi Indotama based on your requirements.

3. Control
Compound chocolate and real chocolate differ not only in composition but also in attributes and how they are handled. Real chocolate and couverture chocolate need to go through a tempering procedure before being used for various techniques like dipping or coating. To create stable crystals in cocoa butter, the temperature is raised and lowered throughout the tempering process. Without this procedure, real chocolate would be difficult to deal with, have a shorter shelf life, and look dull.

Most compound chocolate does not require tempering, in contrast to real chocolate. Compound chocolate just needs to be heated between 35 and 37 °C before it is ready for usage. There are a few exceptions, though. Vegetable fats that have characteristics similar to cocoa butter may need tempering compound chocolate since compound chocolate can be manufactured using a variety of vegetable fats with distinct properties.

Ultimately, the product you intend to manufacture will determine whether you utilize real chocolate or compound chocolate.

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