Everything You Need to Know about Couverture Chocolate

Working in the chocolate world gives you a keen insight into common misconceptions about the craft. Often we are bombarded with questions about how to make chocolate. We get interrogated for answers on why chocolate turns white or doesn't harden. Our favorite questions are why I can't meltdown many candy bars and make chocolate at home. To these aspiring home chocolatiers, we say Couverture Chocolate is your friend.

So here is Everything You Need to Know about Couverture Chocolate.

Couverture chocolate is what the professional chocolatier uses. It's formulated to contain higher cocoa butter and less sugar and dairy. Couverture chocolate's higher cocoa content helps the chocolatier create a shiny lustrous chocolates, bonbons, truffles and molds. Couverture chocolate is only made with cocoa butter and never with an alternative fat or oil.

The standards in the United States require couverture chocolate contain 35% cocoa solids and 31% cocoa butter. Many high-quality chocolatiers and pastry chefs use couverture chocolates containing higher percentages. It is the most fluid to work with and temper. Couverture chocolates are manufactured with more refinement to produce the best flavor and mouthfeel. Many inexpensive chocolates contain the same ingredients but have more of the cheaper ingredients and less of the expensive ingredients like cocoa butter and coco solids.

How to use couverture chocolate:

Couverture chocolate requires tempering to create a lustrous shiny end product
Couverture chocolate is excellent for making truffles, bonbons, nut clusters, barks, dipped fruits, and enrobed chocolates.
Generally not recommended for recipes calling for chocolate or melted chocolate as the higher cocoa butter and less sugar content could things off

Where to buy couverture chocolate:

There are many options to purchase couverture chocolate. Many grocery stores carry couverture chocolate in their baking ingredient section. Amazon and other online retailers are carrying chocolate making ingredients, brand names like Valrhona, Guittard, and Lindt are plentiful. Our recommendation is to purchase wafers or chunks from your local chocolatier.

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