Dark, milk and white chocolate:
In THE BATTLE OF DESSERT ACCOMPANIMENTS, cream and vanilla ice cream jointly won, with chocolate sauce and custard coming next in the poll on dessert accompaniments. As I don't like draws, I hope others who haven't yet voted will vote to determine a single winner.
Now it's the turn of chocolate to do battle. There are three basic types of chocolate - dark, milk and white chocolate - distinguished by their cocoa, milk and sugar content. Dark chocolate has little milk and sugar content unlike milk chocolate. White chocolate has no cocoa content and a high milk and sugar content. Barry Callebaut, a Swiss-Belgian chocolate manufacturer, claims that its ruby chocolate is a fourth basic type of chocolate though many industry experts dispute this marketing claim. Ruby chocolate is made from the ruby cocoa bean and is pinkish-red in colour.
There is also bittersweet and semisweet chocolate, both of which are types of dark chocolate. There's also blonde chocolate, sometimes called Dulcey chocolate, which is a type of white chocolate. Furthermore, there's aerated, fair trade, gluten-free, organic, raw and vegan variants of dark, milk and white chocolate. Plus there's baking chocolate (a cooking chocolate), compound chocolate (a cheaper chocolate used in chocolate sweet/candy bars) and couverture chocolate (a high quality chocolate used by chefs in making coatings, dips and molds). That's the chocolate lesson over!
These different types and sub-types of chocolate are used in compiling this poll. It was tempting to compile this poll on the chocolate's country of origin but I resisted this temptation. I quite like British chocolate even though many chocolatiers argue that's it's not proper chocolate because of its low cocoa content. The European Union even tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to ban British chocolate from being labelled as chocolate. Belgian and Swiss chocolate is the best in my opinion. I'm not that keen on American chocolate, and I've heard that Australian chocolate tastes distinctly dodgy.
This poll is about chocolate only. The poll excludes a whole range of fillings often found inside a chocolate and flavours often added to chocolate. So there's no chai-spiced chocolate, cherry chocolates, chilli-flavoured chocolate, chocolate creams, chocolate liqueurs, chocolate with fruit and/or nuts, coffee-flavoured chocolate (aka mocha chocolate), gianduja chocolate (made with hazelnut butter), orange-flavoured chocolate (eg Terry's Chocolate Orange), filled chocolate (aka bonbons; chocolate filled with, for example, caramel, coconut, fudge, marzipan, nougat, peanut butter, praline and toffee), mint-flavoured chocolate, raspberry-flavoured chocolate, saffron-flavoured chocolate, salted chocolate and strawberry-flavoured chocolate. This is a just chocolate poll.
As an aside, but a relevant aside, research found that countries who consume the most chocolate per capita win the most Nobel Prizes. In 2012, Columbia University's Dr Franz Messerli found a strong correlation between a country's chocolate consumption per head of population and its number of Nobel laureates. Obviously it's a correlation and not a causation. But the finding isn't that ridiculous because rich countries which eat the most chocolate also spend the most on higher education, research & development, and science. A country's chocolate consumption can be seen as a proxy of its wealth. So if Donald Trump really wants a Nobel Peace Prize, then he must eat a lot of chocolate!
My most favourite types of chocolate are aerated chocolate, couverture chocolate, dark chocolate and milk chocolate. But the best chocolate to eat, in my opinion, is fair trade organic dark chocolate. When someone gives me a bar of Green & Black's dark chocolate, then I'm a very happy bunny!
A bar of Green & Black's dark chocolate:
I subscribe to the maxim that there's no such thing as bad chocolate, only good chocolate and even better chocolate, However, my least favourite chocolate is white chocolate, sorry Milkybar Kid!
What are your most and least favourite types of chocolate?
What's your favourite brand of chocolate?
What are your favourite fillings inside a chocolate and flavours added to chocolate?
My favourite brands of chocolate are Cadbury's Dairy Milk, Ghiradelli, Green & Black's, Lindt, and Mars' Galaxy.
In terms of fillings, I love caramel, cherries, coconut, hazelnuts, liqueurs (especially cherry brandy), praline and raisins inside a chocolate. And in terms of flavours, I adore mint-flavoured, orange-flavoured and salted chocolate. An Aero peppermint chocolate bar, lots of Ferrero Rocher and a Terry's Chocolate Orange always go down a treat with me.
Below is a poll where you can anonymously select your most favourite type of chocolate. Unfortunately only one pick is allowed in the poll. If you don't like chocolate, please don't vote but please do comment even just to say you don't like chocolate. Who doesn't like chocolate?!
Because a poll on this site can only have a maximum of 20 answer options, unfortunately there was no room as poll options for: baking dark, milk and white chocolate; compound dark, milk and white chocolate; couverture dark, milk and white chocolate; gluten-free dark, milk and white chocolate; and raw dark, milk and white chocolate. Hopefully I've covered all the popular types of chocolate as poll options because I never want 'other' to win a poll.
I think dark chocolate will win but closely challenged by milk chocolate in the poll.
Please see the first comment below to see what has won each battle of the food and drinks so far.
PS. As a result of some late voting, American Bourbon whiskey has just drawn level in the lead with Scottish single malt whisky in THE BATTLE OF WHISKY. As these polls are like American sport in that draws aren't allowed, I hope those who so far haven't voted will break this deadlock.
Ruby chocolate:
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31 comments
There's no such thing as bad chocolate. I have dark chocolate now from Lindt. Peanut butter fillings are always a hit for me. If chocolate has a cherry flavored filling, I would not like that. I don't know if it exists, but I'm putting the word out to chocolatiers to not go there.
Here in Britain, a peanut butter chocolate filling isn't a big thing. But then again peanut butter isn't so big here as in America.
Milk Chocolate, add caramel and nuts, I'm in! 😋
I love caramel and nuts inside a chocolate.
@spunkycumfun We're talking about walnuts, right? 🤣🤣
@Thetraveler230 Walnuts are good, but hazelnuts are better in my opinion.
What is vegan chocolate ?
Chocolate with no dairy milk content.
@spunkycumfun Lol. you mean same as sawdust tasting soya meat
@taurean62dbn And even tofu!
I like dark, milk, and white chocolate. I usually bought a bag of each and keep it in the freezer, nibbling on whatever hits the mood. Nowadays, chocolate is so expensive, I'm thinking about asking for chocolate for Xmas.
It seems you are a chocoholic!
Swiss made
Swiss chocolate is magic.
White Chocolate, Lindt, though also others... yes, I cheat on Lindt at times
How can you cheat on Lindt?
Like them all
All chocolate is good.
You know I like Milk Chocolate but when I found out that the Dark Chocolate was better for you I started enjoying that more. As far as the candy like Dark Covered Chocolate Cherries, and Hershey's Special Dark miniature chocolate bars and also Andes Candies are also a great treat this time of year.
Thank you for sharing another great Battle Of The Chocolate here today. And I hope your enjoying a wonderful weekend too my friend..
I absolutely love a cherry coated in chocolate especially if there's a liqueur inside too.
@spunkycumfun Strange, I look at those and think "what a waste" you ruined a cherry by coating it in chocolate, and ruined the chocolate by putting a cherry inside.
Those were the one thing I never liked in any box of chocolates.
@mwants269 Cherries and chocolate were made for each other, just like strawberries and cream!
@spunkycumfun Up until very recently we could get Cherry Blossoms in Canada. A cherry inside a small chocolate mountain with cherry cream filling. Sadly, they're gone . . .
@RUmytranny Cherry Blossoms look good.
@spunkycumfun No, no they weren't. Strawberries and chocolate, yes, cherries and chocolate (especially those candied syrup cherries) NO! Worst candy in the box. I doubt I could even get the barn mice to eat it (though my pigs wouldn't have a problem, they eat everything)
@mwants269 At least we agree that chocolate is good. Chocolate and mint?
Thank you for bringing up Hersheys Special Dark Chocolate!! Being diabetic all good things are no-no’s for me but I argue the Special Dark is actually healthy to try to justify the occasional bite. So far the Dr still smiles as he says “No” because he can’t let himself okay the infrequent nibble.
@spunkycumfun Lowney's Canada started producing Cherry Blossoms in the 1890s up until this year. Many people enjoyed them over the decades and will miss them, including myself. Production costs just became too much.
@RUmytranny We didn't get Cherry Blossoms here in the UK.
@spunkycumfun chocolate and mint is almost ok, I don't mind it. I do enjoy those after dinner mint chocolates. But it isn't something I'd go out of my way to get or have.
PS: I like cherries, just not the ones in the candies shown.
@mwants269 I like chocolate mint crisps the best.
@spunkycumfun That is a shame and sadly we don't them here now, either.
As long it is chocolate, it is good!
My sentiments exactly.
I'm not a purest, therefore, I get to say Milk Chocolate. Dark is ok; however, it can be a bit bitter, so I enjoy the sweetness of Milk Chocolate. It's hard to beat a Cadbury's Dairy Milk bar. At Christmas a few stores used to release the "BIG" bar; however, I haven't seen it this year, probably due to the higher cost of chocolate.
As I've got older, I've lost my sweet tooth so dark chocolate does it for me.
@spunkycumfun I may eat more dark chocolate now, however, milk chocolate is still far and away my favourite.
For the record, Brussels sprouts won THE BATTLE OF THE VEGETABLES, bananas won THE BATTLE OF THE FRUITS, basil won THE BATTLE OF THE HERBS, garlic won THE BATTLE OF THE SPICES, cashew nuts won THE BATTLE OF THE NUTS, sunflower seeds won THE BATTLE OF THE SEEDS, roast beef won THE BATTLE OF THE ROAST DINNERS, cheesecake won THE BATTLE OF THE PUDDINGS, pepperoni won THE BATTLE OF THE PIZZA TOPPINGS, Caesar salad won THE BATTLE OF THE SALADS, green beans won THE BATTLE OF THE BEANS, watermelon won THE BATTLE OF THE MELONS, tomato-based pasta sauce won THE BATTLE OF THE HOT SAUCY DIPS, barbecue sauce won THE BATTLE OF THE COOL SAUCY DIPS, vanilla ice cream won THE BATTLE OF THE ICE CREAMS, capellini (aka angel hair) won THE BATTLE OF THE PASTAS, steak won THE BATTLE OF THE BARBECUE, romaine lettuce won THE BATTLE OF THE LETTUCES, honeycrisp apples won THE BATTLE OF THE APPLES, stout won THE BATTLE OF THE BEERS, whisky won THE BATTLE OF THE SPIRITS, clam chowder won THE BATTLE OF THE SOUPS, sourdough bread won THE BATTLE OF THE BREADS, liver won THE BATTLE OF THE OFFAL, roast turkey won THE BATTLE OF CHRISTMAS FOODS, Old Fashioned won THE BATTLE OF THE COCKTAILS, Americano coffee won THE BATTLE OF THE COFFEES, green tea won THE BATTLE OF THE TEAS, maple syrup won THE BATTLE OF THE PANCAKES, barbecue sauce won THE BATTLE OF THE CONDIMENTS, ribeye steak won THE BATTLE OF THE STEAKS, portobello mushrooms won THE BATTLE OF THE MUSHROOMS, beefsteak tomatoes won THE BATTLE OF THE TOMATOES, barbecue crisps won THE BATTLE OF THE CRISPS, strawberries won THE BATTLE OF THE BERRIES, crab won THE BATTLE OF THE SHELLFISH, vanilla yogurt won THE BATTLE OF THE YOGURTS, jasmine rice won THE BATTLE OF THE RICE, chicken wings won THE BATTLE OF HOT FINGER FOODS, cheeses won THE BATTLE OF COLD FINGER FOODS, dry red wine won THE BATTLE OF THE WINES, tap water won THE BATTLE OF WATER, blueberry muffins won THE BATTLE OF THE MUFFINS, cheese won THE BATTLE OF THE CHARCUTERIE, cow milk hard cheese won THE BATTLE OF THE CHEESE, burgers won THE BATTLE OF FAST FOOD, olive oil won THE BATTLE OF THE OILS, beef stew won THE BATTLE OF THE STEW, cow milk won THE BATTLE OF THE MILK, butter won THE BATTLE OF THE BAKED POTATO, salad won THE BATTLE OF THE SIDE DISH, pizza won THE BATTLE OF THE SAVOURY PIE, apple pie won THE BATTLE OF THE SWEET PIE, coffee won THE BATTLE OF THE HOT BEVERAGE, iced tea won THE BATTLE OF THE COLD BEVERAGE, salmon won THE BATTLE OF THE FISHES, rice won THE BATTLE OF THE GRAINS, cheese won THE BATTLE OF THE OMELETTE, cream won THE BATTLE OF THE DOUGHNUTS, chocolate won THE BATTLE OF THE MILKSHAKES, butter won THE BATTLE OF THE TOAST TOPPINGS, salted peanuts won THE BATTLE OF THE PEANUTS, strawberry jam won THE BATTLE OF THE JAM, flaky pastry won THE BATTLE OF THE PASTRY, bacon sandwich won THE BATTLE OF THE SANDWICH, orange juice won THE BATTLE OF THE JUICES, chocolate won THE BATTLE OF THE COOKIES, American Bourbon whiskey and Scottish single malt whisky jointly won THE BATTLE OF WHISKY, pumpkin pie won THE BATTLE OF THE PUMPKIN, cherry jelly won THE BATTLE OF JELLY, and cream and vanilla ice cream jointly won THE BATTLE OF DESSERT ACCOMPANIMENTS.
@@anw2c
Now I know. I'm not mailing you.
1X2X6AKWp
What does that mean?
What are your most and least favourite types of chocolate? I love the flavored dark chocolates, such as orange. Least fav is white of any sort.
What's your favourite brand of chocolate? I don't think I have a fav brand. It all seems good.
What are your favourite fillings inside a chocolate and flavours added to chocolate? Fav filling is probably caramel. Or peanut butter. Flavors added - orange, mint.
I like a caramel filling but I've never had a peanut butter filling.
I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!! 😜🥰😋😋😋🥰🥰
Join the club.
And here I thought chocolate was just chocolate! Though yeah, ok I admit it, of late I've learned the difference between milk chocolate and dark chocolate. 😀
But gonna go with regular ole "milk" chocolate as my favorite - though really I eat very little of it, or sweets in general.
I didn't realise there are so many different types of chocolate until I compiled this poll.