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| Type | Chocolate |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Switzerland |
| Created by | Nestlé |
| Invented | 1936 |
| Main ingredients | Cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids |
| Ingredients generally used | Vanilla |
White chocolate is a form of chocolate made of cocoa butter, sugar and milk. Unlike milk and dark chocolate, it does not contain cocoa solids, which darken the chocolate. White chocolate has an ivory color, and can smell of biscuit, vanilla or caramel, although it can also easily pick up smells from the environment and become rancid with its relatively short shelf life. Like milk and dark chocolate, white chocolate is used to make chocolate bars and as a coating in confectionery.
Of the three traditional types of chocolate, white chocolate is the newest. It was first commercially sold by Swiss company Nestlé in 1936, but in the United States, manufacturing only started in 1984. Particularly in the early days of the product, there was much contention among consumers about whether white chocolate really is "chocolate", but it gradually gained more acceptance. During the 21st century, manufacturers began producing more premium white chocolate, and in the United Kingdom the traditionally children's product was marketed to adults for the first time. Around 2005, a variant called blond chocolate was invented, produced by slowly cooking white chocolate across multiple days.
White chocolate is made in a five-step process. First, the ingredients are mixed together to form a paste. Next, the paste is refined, reducing particle size to a powder. It is then agitated for several hours in a process known as conching, after which the product is further processed to ensure the product sold is standardized. Finally, the chocolate is tempered by heating, cooling and reheating the mass, improving the product's appearance, stability and snap.
In 2022, white chocolate made up 10% of the chocolate market. As of 2024, sales are projected to grow by around 5% annually for the next few years, driven by an increase in consumption of premium white chocolate, particularly in Europe.