What is Couvertur Chocolate?
All You Need to Know About
Couverture Chocolate.
What is Couverture Chocolate?
Couverture is
the name given to a certain class of high-quality chocolate. All chocolate bars
contain many of the same base ingredients—cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar,
and perhaps additives like vanilla, soy lecithin, or milk powder. But
couverture chocolate, unlike regular chocolate, is ground to a finer texture
during the production process and contains a greater percentage of cocoa butter
relative to the other ingredients.
These two differences produce a superior
flavor and texture that makes couverture the preferred chocolate for tempering and enrobing truffles, bonbons, and
other fine candies.
In America, the precise standards for
couverture chocolate state that couverture chocolate must contain a minimum of
35% cocoa solids and 31% cocoa butter. (Here's a primer onhow chocolate is made and what these percentages mean.) 31%
is just the minimum amount, however, and some couverture chocolates contain up
to 39% cocoa butter. The more cocoa butter the chocolate contains, the more
fluid it is when melted, which is why it is the preferred choice for tempering.
When Should I Use Couverture Chocolate?
I've heard some argue that you should only use
standard chocolate for eating and reserve couverture chocolate for
tempering only. False! Couverture chocolate is deliciousand makes a wonderful
eating chocolate as well.
The extra cocoa butter gives it a
fantastically smooth texture, and the fine quality of the cocoa beans give it a
good flavor. However, it is typically more expensive than other chocolates, so
economically it makes the most sense to save couverture chocolate for times
when great taste and texture are paramount.
Couverture is ideal for tempering and dipping,
and this is where it really shines. Use it in any candy recipe where you want a
coating with a deep chocolate flavor, a beautiful shine, and a healthy
"snap" when you bite into the candy. Use it to make chocolate bars, cover truffles, or make clusters or barks.
Can you bake with coverture? It depends.
Because it contains a greater percentage of cocoa butter, it might behave
different in recipes that call for melted chocolate, like cakes or brownies.
The different proportions of fat to sugar and cocoa solids might be a problem, depending on the recipe.
In most cases, it's best to bake with a chocolate intended for baking and
save the couverture for dipping.
Where Should I Buy Couverture Chocolate?
Good news—thanks to the internet, you no longer
need to visit a specialty store or buddy up to a gourmet food distributor to
acquire couverture chocolate! You can often buy directly from a specific
company's website, or visit chocolate distributors like World Wide Chocolate, Chocosphere, or Gourmail. Amazon even
carries some types of couverture chocolate!
Many fine chocolate makers produce couverture
chocolate, including Amano, Callebaut, El Rey, Felchlin, Guittard, Lindt,
Scharffen Berger, and Valrhona.
There's not a "top" or
"best" couverture chocolate to recommend, as it comes down to
personal taste and preference. My recommendation is to sample different brands
over time, if possible, to find your personal favorite couverture.
What Should I Make With Couverture
Chocolate?
First of all, to properly appreciate
couverture chocolate, you need to be comfortable tempering chocolate. Once
you've mastered tempering, take your chocolate for a spin and dip one of the
truffles in it!
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