# So, what is white chocolate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 5, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534 "2002-07-05T19:29:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/1 "2002-07-05T19:29:34Z")
So, I am sitting here munching on a _Cadbury Dream_ bar. It advertises itself on its package “Real White Chocolate”. Now, I love white chocolate. But really, what is it? The ingredients in the bar include : Sugar, **Milk Ingredients** [sub] can they be a little more vague?[/sub], Cocoa Butter, Soya Lechtin, Polyglycerol Polyreicinoleate [sub]sounds scary[/sub], Artificial Flavor. Now, I would _think_ that real “chocolate” would have cocoa in it (not just butter) but that would make it brown (wouldn’t it?) So, since this is “real” white chocolate and has no “cocoa” in it _per se_, what makes something “real chocolate”? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2002, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/2 "2002-07-05T20:12:30Z")
**Cecil Adams** on How does white chocolate differ from real chocolate? ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/3 "2002-07-05T20:15:23Z")
Real chocolate contains both cocoa butter and cocoa solids, whereas white chocolate only contains cocoa butter. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/4 "2002-07-05T20:26:40Z")
I’m afraid I’m pretty unimpressed with Unca Cece’s answer-- uh, nonanswer-- on this one. However, it is true that white chocolate contains little or no cocoa. According to [Ghirardelli](http://www.ghirardelli.com/chocolate_types.cfm), > [@](#): > > No official Standard of Identity exists yet for white chocolate, which is typically made with cocoa butter (unsweetened chocolate **with the cocoa solids removed** ), milk solids, sugar and flavorings. As for your Dream bar, the “milk ingredients” are a natural product, and kind of vague by nature. There’s probably some milkfat, some milk protein, some lactose, and other stuff such as is found in milk. Polyglycerol polyricinoleate is basically a big honkin’ molecule made from castor oil. It’s probably there to add gloss, and maybe prevent untimely melting. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2002, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/5 "2002-07-05T22:20:15Z")
Thanks Nametag. Cecils answer was a little lame IMHO as well, but whatever… he da man. Thanks for your .02 ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2002, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/6 "2002-07-05T22:40:30Z")
I don’t see how the answer was lame. No one here seems to have provided any more information than he did AFAICT. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2002, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/7 "2002-07-06T05:05:35Z")
You all miss it, as does Cecil. The real answer is that white chocolate is an abomination. Yea, an abomination unto the Lord. I had to eat this crap as a kid when I was allergic to real chocolate. It got to the point where I told my folks not to bother. I’d rather have an empty Easter basket than one filled with disgusting waxy bunnies. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/8 "2002-07-06T15:24:08Z")
They take the cocoa beans & mash them, when that happens it becomes two things, 1)butter & 2) cocoa White chocolate, which I really enjoy, as they said is 1)… ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2002, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/9 "2002-07-06T17:04:48Z")
I prefer dark chocolate myself. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/10 "2002-07-07T15:36:05Z")
Why, I would prefer they mix the two. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/11 "2002-07-07T17:08:16Z")
I enjoy ‘normal’ chocolate, but the white stuff is great in small doses… not too much, or my throat starts to hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Mentor\_and\_Liar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mentor\_and\_Liar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mentor_and_Liar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/12 "2002-07-07T19:50:43Z")
In my kitchen, we call it _choco-lard._ ---
**Author:** ![Mentor\_and\_Liar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mentor\_and\_Liar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mentor_and_Liar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/13 "2002-07-07T21:48:45Z")
In my kitchen, we call it _choco-lard._ ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-white-chocolate/117534/14 "2002-07-08T09:25:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*They take the cocoa beans & mash them, when that happens it becomes two things, 1)butter & > 2) cocoa > > White chocolate, which I really enjoy, as they said is 1)… \*\* Could some one explain what cocoa butter is and how they separate it and what it is (essentially fat?), and what cocoa consists of (fat, protein, other?) p.s I love white chocolate. Soooo bad for you