Differences Between Chocolate & Candy
October is a festive time many choose to celebrate with decorations, costumes, and Halloween candy. During this time of year, trick-or-treaters look forward to filling their bags with sugary fall candies. It may be easy to imagine what candy looks like, but defining candy can be more difficult.
Merriam-Webster defines candy as “A confection made with sugar and often flavoring and filling.” All chocolate could be classified as candy using this definition. Yet, a hand-dipped chocolate truffle is remarkably different from a handful of candy corn.
Chocolate is far more natural than other candy confections. Chocolate comes from cocoa beans. These beans are ground into powder and combined with cocoa butter to create different chocolate flavors. Then, chocolatiers craft various confections from the chocolate, pairing it with other complementary flavors.
This process is a significant departure from other candies. Cocoa beans grow in tropical environments, and the chocolate itself has a fruity flavor. However, this flavor can change depending on the kinds of ingredients added to it.
Store-bought chocolate often includes artificial flavors, oils, and hydrogenated fats to make production cheaper. These additives are the reason there is a significant disparity in chocolate quality.
Is Chocolate Candy?
In short, all chocolate is technically candy, but the two words lose their association when discussing higher-quality chocolate. Chocolate may be a confection made with sugar, but whether chocolate is considered candy is up to the people who eat it.
Chocolate paired with natural ingredients gives a more complex taste than other traditional candies. The time and attention required to achieve this flavor also help to set it apart.
To the majority of people, chocolates are more than just sweets. Instead, chocolates take on an artisan taste and quality. Through the study and research of dedicated chocolatiers, most consider chocolates fundamentally different than candy.
During this fall season, choose to enjoy a different kind of chocolate for Halloween. Dilettante Chocolates crafts each of its chocolates using the best chocolate-making practices to create all of its confections. Individually wrapped TruffleCremes, chocolate-covered fruit, and hand-dipped chocolate truffles are all perfect ways to treat loved ones during the festive holiday season.