Chocolate is one of the most popular sweets which most people crave. It is sweet and melts easily in one’s mouth, which explains why most people love it. Chocolates are made using cocoa which is originally extracted from the cacao plant. It is mixed with milk, sugar and milk fat to come up with chocolate.
There are several types of chocolate you will find out there. We are all familiar with the dark chocolate, which many term as the original chocolate and is brown in color. Other types of chocolate include unsweetened chocolate, white chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, and milk chocolate among others.
The white chocolate is another popular type of chocolate whose key ingredients include milk, cocoa butter, and sugar. Many have dismissed this type of chocolate as the unoriginal one because of its appearance and maybe the ingredients it contains. However, there are multiple benefits associated with its consumption. One of the most important benefits of consuming white chocolate is the fact that it helps in the prevention of diabetes.
It will help reduce insulin resistance in one’s body. White chocolate also contains flavonols, which helps reduce the risk of heart failure. You should
consume it because of the health benefits it provides. Buying chocolate is not all about going to the shop and ordering for some bars. There are several things you should look out for to ensure you get the best chocolate. They include:
Ingredients
You should be keen on the ingredients used to make the chocolate you want to buy. Cocoa should be the primary ingredient. You should look at the percentage of cocoa in the chocolate you want to purchase, the standard level of cocoa in dark chocolate should be at least 60%. White chocolate should have at least 20%. Other ingredients you should look for include the sugar and milk content.
Expiry date
Just like any other perishable product, you should look at the best before date of your chocolate to understand if it is suitable for consumption. You will also know how fresh one is by looking at the manufacturing date. Dark chocolate can last for up to a year without going bad while white and milk chocolates can go for up to seven months. Chocolate should be appropriately wrapped to avoid entry of moisture which might make it go bad.
Packaging
You should look at how the chocolate you want to buy is packaged before buying it. It should be in a dark and properly-sealed wrapper to prevent light and moisture from spoiling it. Entry of light and moisture may heighten the chance of chocolate going bad. Chocolate wrapped in a foil has high chances of staying fresh for an extended period.