Couverture chocolate” is written in the recipes of chocolate-based sweets. So there are many people who do not know what kind of chocolate it is.
If you look it up on the Internet, you will find that there are many kinds, and you will be troubled by the fact that “I don’t know which one to choose, and there are so many of them, isn’t there more affordable one? I feel like I’m in trouble.
In this article, I would like to introduce you to some alternatives to couverture chocolate.
If you don’t have couverture chocolate, please refer to this article.
What is couverture chocolate?
Characteristics and points to consider when choosing a substitute
The term “couverture chocolate” refers to “high-quality chocolate” as defined by international standards as follows:
International standards
- The total cocoa solids content of 35% or more
- At least 31% cocoa butter
- The non-fat cocoa solids content of 2.5% or more
- Substitute fats other than cocoa butter are not allowed
The word “couverture” means “to cover” in French. The purpose of couverture chocolate is to coat confectionery.
For this reason, it contains more fat than ordinary chocolate and is quite silky when melted.
In Japan, “confectionery chocolate” is sometimes sold simply as couverture chocolate.
These are three of the best alternatives to couverture chocolate
Substitute for couverture chocolate 1: Black chocolate (sheet chocolate)
If the chocolate contains a lot of cocoa, the taste and texture can be close to that of couverture chocolate.
Unlike couverture chocolate, black chocolate is made to have a strong bitter or sour taste, so adjust the sweetness.
The advantage of using store-bought chocolate is that it is difficult to make tempering mistakes.
It may not be as good as the professional ones, but it is already tempered, so just melt it and it will become glossy.
One thing to keep in mind is that there are many different ingredients in the chocolate bars, so depending on the recipe, the chocolate may not harden.
Substitute for couverture chocolate 2: Coated chocolate
If your goal is to coat sweets beautifully, coating chocolate is the way to go.
It does not require tempering and is convenient to melt and use immediately.
One thing to note is that the quality of the chocolate is quite different from that of couverture chocolate.
Coated chocolate is generally classified as quasi-chocolate and contains a lot of substitute fats.
Although it is suitable for coating, it cannot be used as the main chocolate since it tastes only chocolaty.
Substitute for couverture chocolate 3: Bitter chocolate
Basically, like black chocolate, this chocolate contains more cocoa.
But even if it contains milk ingredients, it is sometimes labeled as bitter chocolate, so check the ingredient list before using it.
Points to note when using substitutes
Don’t use chocolate that is too cheap.
Chocolate that contains a lot of cacao is expensive to some extent.
Extremely cheap chocolates have less cocoa, so the taste will be completely different compared to couverture chocolate.
It is also not recommended because it often contains a lot of extra ingredients and is of inferior quality.
Do not mix chocolates from different manufacturers.
If you substitute commercially available chocolate boards, you may not have enough and may have to buy more.
If you mix chocolates from different manufacturers but because they are the same, it may make it difficult to harden or the finished product may not be good.
Even if it is the same black chocolate, different manufacturers use different ingredients and formulas.
It may not harden.
In recipes where chocolate is melted and hardened, such as raw chocolate and truffles, if the fat content of the chocolate is low, it may not harden.
Semi-chocolate is particularly difficult to harden.
To solve this problem, you can use animal cream or add butter, but the taste and result will be more stable if the chocolate is of high quality.
Summary
- Couverture chocolate is a confectionery chocolate with high cocoa and fat content.
- In Japan, confectionery chocolate is sold as couverture chocolate treats.
- The following three substitutes for couverture chocolate are recommended.
- Black chocolate, coated chocolate, and bitter chocolate.
- Do not use chocolate that is too cheap.
- When using multiple sheets of chocolate, use the same manufacturer.
- If the chocolate is low in fat, it may not harden.