I am a label reader.  In fact, I judiciously read labels because it is a matter of life or death for my daughter who has serious food allergies.  But just because I read labels doesn’t mean I understand everything on them!

Luckily, I have experience understanding what’s on a chocolate label.  When I was developing product for a large chocolate manufacturer, part of my job was to create the labels that went on our chocolates.

So, what exactly are things like “chocolate liquor,” “cocoa butter,” “soya lecithin,” or “butter fat” (by the way, isn’t butter fat a bit redundant)?

It would be nice if labels had a glossary printed on the back so we could learn the basics of what we’re eating.  Since that great idea hasn’t taken off, I have gathered some commonly used chocolate terms, along with their meanings, and put them here for your enjoyment and education.

Chocolate Liquor or cocoa mass or cocoa solids or cocoa liquor

These are interchangeable terms for ground up, roasted cacao beans.  Chocolate liquor is a thick, dark brown liquid that does not contain alcohol.  In this case, the meaning of “liquor” is “essence.”  In the US, chocolate liquor is also called unsweetened baking chocolate.  Chocolate liquor contains about 48% fat, or cocoa butter.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is the fat extracted from cocoa beans (cacao seeds).

Soya Lecithin or Lecithin

Lecithin is a yellow-brown liquid (phospholipids) extracted from soybeans. It is added to chocolate to increases the flow-ability of the chocolate (by decreasing the viscosity).

Butter Fat or Butterfat or Milkfat

These are interchangeable terms referring to the fatty component in milk.  There is no butter fat in cacao (remember, that is called cocoa butter).  Butter fat is added to chocolate for a soft texture and to extend the shelf life by resisting bloom.

Chocolate terminology is pretty consistent across manufacturers and countries.  Chocolate production is strictly regulated with standards that limit the types of ingredients added to chocolate.  However, there are differences.  And depending on where the chocolate is produced, ingredients allowed in one chocolate bar may not be allowed in another.

My advice?  Read the label!  Enjoy.

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Bryn Kirk

Course Facilitator at Chocolate University Online

Bryn worked for nearly 10 years in a research and product development for Ambrosia Chocolate Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Now she develops all of the CUO lessons and coaches the members of the Primal Chocolate Club.

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