# Why Is White Chocolate Called White Chocolate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 21, 2006, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033 "2006-12-21T06:55:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/1 "2006-12-21T06:55:39Z")
Why is white chocolate called “white chocolate” when it doesn’t have any chocolate in it? Why not call it “sweet cocoa butter” or even better “blechy white crap”? ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/2 "2006-12-21T07:02:56Z")
[It](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_chocolate) comes from the [cacoa tree](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoa), just as regular chocolate does, though you are right in that it doesn’t have the cacoa solids in it. They give it the name “chocolate” because of it’s origin I would posit. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/3 "2006-12-21T07:20:32Z")
Regular chocolate and white chocolate both come from the seeds of the cacao plant. Regular chocolate contains both the fat from the seeds (called “cocoa butter”) and the solids (called “cocoa”), and is often sweetened with sugar. White chocolate is cocoa butter combined with sugar. Most of the flavor of regular chocolate comes from the cocoa solids, but some of it also comes from the cocoa butter. White chocolate has only the flavor of the cocoa butter, which makes it faintly chocolate-like. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/4 "2006-12-21T07:22:20Z")
[QUOTE=Jeff Lichtman] Regular chocolate and white chocolate both come from the seeds of the cacao plant. Regular chocolate contains both the fat from the seeds (called “cocoa butter”) and the solids (called “cocoa”), and is often sweetened with sugar. White chocolate is cocoa butter combined with sugar. Most of the flavor of regular chocolate comes from the cocoa solids, but some of it also comes from the cocoa butter. White chocolate has only the flavor of the cocoa butter, which makes it faintly chocolate-like. [/QUOTE] Actually some brands also add vanilla to white chocolate. 😉 Check the link in my post for confirmation. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/5 "2006-12-21T07:44:35Z")
[QUOTE=Ruby] Why is white chocolate called “white chocolate” when it doesn’t have any chocolate in it? Why not call it “sweet cocoa butter” or even better “blechy white crap”? [/QUOTE] According to the Wikipedia article someone else referenced, “as white chocolate does not contain cocoa solids or cocoa mass, it does not meet the standards to be called _chocolate_ in many countries.” If calling white chocolate white chocolate irks you so much, go move to one of the jurisdictions where it’s illegal to refer to it as such. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/6 "2006-12-21T09:26:37Z")
You’re right - it should be called _pale yellow_ chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/7 "2006-12-21T13:59:08Z")
[QUOTE=Ruby] Why is white chocolate called “white chocolate” when it doesn’t have any chocolate in it? Why not call it “sweet cocoa butter” or even better “blechy white crap”? [/QUOTE] Ultimately, because people decided to point to it and say “That’s white chocolate.” The origins are ultimately irrelevant. Things are named because a consensus exists that the particular thing has a particular name. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/8 "2006-12-21T18:16:37Z")
And here I was thinking this was going to be a thread about basketball nicknames. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/9 "2006-12-21T18:21:58Z")
Besides taste and color, what other food has the same texture and uses as regular chocolate? They can both be melted at low temps, formed into bars, used as coating on various foods. They’re uses are pretty much identical. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/10 "2006-12-21T19:23:22Z")
In the USA, AFAIK- there’s no such thing as “white chocolate”. Which is true, “WC” being simply sweetened cocoa butter. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/11 "2006-12-21T19:29:59Z")
Because it’s white. And it’s chocolate (loosely). ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/12 "2006-12-21T19:52:31Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] Besides taste and color, what other food has the same texture and uses as regular chocolate? They can both be melted at low temps, formed into bars, used as coating on various foods. They’re uses are pretty much identical. [/QUOTE] Peanut butter, cinnamon and butterscotch chips come to mind… My guess is that “blechy white crap” didn’t sell well in product placement tests. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/13 "2006-12-21T20:09:32Z")
Apparently, there has only been an FDA standard defining “white chocolate” in the US since January 1, 2004. This according to the [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_chocolate) article. The standard itself, in all of its tedious glory, may be found [here](http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr021004.html) (Federal Register 67 FR 62171). It’s a hell of a slog to read, but here’s the summary: > [@](#): > > The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is establishing a standard of identity for white chocolate. This standard will provide for the use of the term "white chocolate’’ as the common or usual name of products made from cacao fat (i.e., cocoa butter), milk solids, nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners, and other safe and suitable ingredients, but containing no nonfat cacao solids. The standard for white chocolate will promote honesty and fair dealing in the interest of consumers and, to the extent practicable, will achieve consistency with existing international standards of identity for white chocolate. This standard is established in response to citizen petitions submitted separately by the Hershey Foods Corp. (Hershey) and by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association of the United States of America (CMA). They go on to give a fairly detailed definition of the product, and what it may/may not/must contain. Apparently, their standard agrees with some others: “Finally, the white chocolate food standard, which is consistent with the standards of Canada, the European Union (EU), and Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), will promote international harmonization.” White Chocolate for World Harmony, I guess. I could get behind that. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/14 "2006-12-22T00:29:58Z")
It’s just good marketing. The same reason that “yellow delicious” apples are really more closely related to other, less popular, varieties. ---
**Author:** ![Charger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@Charger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charger)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/15 "2006-12-22T03:51:27Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist] Peanut butter, cinnamon and butterscotch chips come to mind… [/QUOTE] Oh, you mean tan chocolate? ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/16 "2006-12-22T08:49:31Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist] Peanut butter, cinnamon and butterscotch chips come to mind… My guess is that “blechy white crap” didn’t sell well in product placement tests. [/QUOTE] None of these will form a hard coating. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/17 "2006-12-22T11:34:04Z")
[QUOTE=Ruby] Why is white chocolate called “white chocolate” when it doesn’t have any chocolate in it? Why not call it “sweet cocoa butter” or even better “blechy white crap”? [/QUOTE] So you don’t want to call it “chocolate” because it contains no chocolate. But you are happy to call it “crap”. Curiously, the manufacturers don’t list that among the ingredients, either. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-white-chocolate-called-white-chocolate/385033/18 "2006-12-22T12:27:41Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] Besides taste and color, what other food has the same texture and uses as regular chocolate? [/quote] besides taste and colour, tallow.