HONOLULU (KHON2) — White chocolate has long been a subject of confusion with many wondering what it really is.
KHON2.com sat down with Dr. Nat Bletter, an ethnobiologist and award-winning chocolate maker who founded Madre Chocolate, to ask him to clear up the mystery.
“When we talk about most mass-produced chocolates, the only part of white chocolate that comes from cocoa is the cocoa butter,” he explained.
Unlike dark or milk chocolate, which contain cocoa solids, white chocolate is made using the cocoa butter that is pressed out from cacao beans.
Dr. Bletter explained that cocoa butter, when separated from the ground cocoa beans, leaves behind the healthier, antioxidant-rich cocoa powder. The cocoa butter is then mixed with dried milk powder and sugar.
“It’s basically fat and sugar,” Dr. Bletter said. “That makes it pretty addictive, but it doesn’t have the health properties of dark chocolate.”
This leads to a critical point: while white chocolate is creamy and rich, it doesn’t offer the same health benefits as dark chocolate.
The antioxidants that contribute to dark chocolate’s reputation for being “good for you” are lost during the white chocolate process.
According to Dr. Bletter, the demand for Hawaiʻi-grown cocoa butter and powder is high, but “no one makes that because to make the cocoa butter and powder, you need a lot of cheap cocoa and a 10,000-pound hydraulic press.”
The uniqueness of Hawaiʻi-grown cocoa adds another layer to this discussion. Hawaiʻi is known for producing some of the most expensive cocoa in the world, but it’s also one of the smallest cocoa-producing regions.
“I think the sum total of cocoa butter made in Hawaiʻi is, like, a cup or two,” Dr. Bletter noted.
This scarcity could change in the future if Hawaiʻi’s cocoa production expands. Dr. Bletter is hopeful about increasing Hawaiʻi’s cocoa-growing area which could make locally produced cocoa butter more accessible.
Dr. Bletter also brought attention to a rare and intriguing cacao bean known as Porcelana. This white cacao bean produces a white-like chocolate due to its unique flavor profile.
“It’s not like regular cocoa,” he explained. “It gives you a chocolate that’s very light and almost creamy in color, but it has a completely different taste.”
Porcelana beans were once common in pre-Colombian times and were prized by ancient civilizations for their smooth, delicate flavor.
While they are rare today, their history and unique qualities make them an exciting variety for chocolate makers and chocolate lovers alike. You can click here to find chocolate made with Porcelana beans.
You can click here to learn more about Madre Chocolate.
So, that’s it. mass produced white chocolate is from cacao, but it’s only the cocoa butter and none of the cocoa powder. But there is a natural white chocolate that comes from a white cacao bean. You’ll only find this one amongst the world’s finest chocolates.